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US 6,830,668 B2Granted
Small volume electrochemical sensor
AssigneeConductive Technologies, Inc.
InventorsMatthew K. Musho, Ronald E. Reed, Donald L. Bohn
Life of this patent
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AssigneeConductive Technologies, Inc.
InventorsMatthew K. Musho, Ronald E. Reed, Donald L. Bohn
Estimating the term…
An electrochemical sensor is provided comprised of a thin sheet or film having at least one through-hole provided therein. The thin sheet or film has first and second opposing surfaces, at least a portion of the opposing surfaces being coated with a conductive coating which extends into the at least one through-hole, each conductive coating extending partially into the at least one through-hole from each opposing surface whereby each conductive coating terminates within the at least one through-hole at a point spaced from the terminus of the opposing conductive coating which extends into the at least one through-hole, whereby the conductive coatings in the at least one through-hole are separated by a non-conductive interior surface of the at least one through-hole.
An electrochemical sensor comprised of a thin sheet or film having at least one through-hole provided therein, said thin sheet or films having first and second opposing surfaces, at least a portion of each said opposing surface being coated with a polymeric conductive coating which extends into said at least one through-hole, each said polymeric conductive coating extending partially into said at least one through-hole from each opposing surface whereby each said polymeric conductive coating terminates within said at least one through-hole at a point spaced from the terminus of the opposing polymeric conductive coating which extends into said at least one through-hole, whereby said polymeric conductive coatings in said at least one through-hole are separated by a non-conductive interior surface of said at least one through-hole.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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Electrodes, e.g. test electrodes; Half-cells: disposable laminated or multilayered electrodes
Investigating or analysing materials by determining their chemical or physical properties
Term ended 11 Apr 2023 (estimated)
Electrochemical sensors are known which are used in the analysis of liquid samples. Such sensors are used in the analysis of blood or other biological fluids.
For example, blood sugar analyzers analyze the blood sugar content or glucose concentration of a blood specimen by supplying a blood specimen to a fixed enzyme membrane to cause a chemical reaction. A reaction current is then generated proportional to the amount of the blood sugar in the blood specimen.
A person may also become infected with a disease, which will result in the person's blood containing measurable levels of an antigen specific to the disease. Immunodiagnostic tests are conducted on a sample of the infected person's blood whereby antibodies specific to the disease condition are contacted with the blood sample. If an antigen-antibody reaction occurs, the antigen is confirmed to be present. Of course, the reaction may be conducted in the reverse, by contacting an antigen with a sample containing the suspected antibody. While a variety of techniques have been developed to determine the result of the test (enzyme immunoassay, immunofluoresence, radioimmunoassay, etc.). It has also become appropriate to employ electrical immunoassay techniques whereby the electrical properties of the fluid sample are changed due to the antigen-antibody reaction. Alternatively, one immunoreactant can be labelled with an electroactive substance, with the extent of the reaction determining the level of the electrical property to be observed.
FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of an electrochemical sensor of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a view is perspective of another embodiment of the electrochemical sensor of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a view in perspective of another embodiment of the electrochemical sensor of the present invention.
The present invention is directed to an electrochemical sensor device which may be employed in the analysis of ultra-small liquid samples (on the order of >15 nL). The electrochemical sensor of the present invention enables analysis of liquid samples (such as biological samples) under circumstances where (1) a large volume sample is not available or impractical to obtain, and/or (2) the collection of the liquid sample requires uncomfortable or painful invasive procedures such as puncturing the skin of a person to draw blood.
The present invention addresses such issues by use of an electrochemical sensor comprised of at least one through-hole in a sheet or film in conjunction with a conductive coating on opposing surfaces of the sheet or film which coating extends partially into the through-hole. Upon contact of the surface of the sheet or film with a fluid to be analyzed, the fluid will enter the through-hole and complete the circuit between the opposing conductive coatings. An appropriate analysis of the fluid can then be conducted consistent with the electrochemical nature of the fluid and the coatings. As the sensor requires only small volumes of liquid sample for analysis, the collection of the sample from a patient may be rendered less intrusive.
By way of example, the electrochemical sensor of the present invention permits the detection, measurement or monitoring of an analyte in a liquid test sample, such as by oxidase chemistry. Glucose, cholesterol, alcohol as well as other analytes capable of reacting with a suitable oxidase enzyme can be assayed by the method of the present invention.