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US 8,152,992 B2Granted
Cell-based sensing: biological transduction of chemical stimuli to electrical signals (nose-on-a-chip)
AssigneeUniversity of Maryland
InventorsElisabeth Smela, Pamela Ann Abshire
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and compositions for the reliable detection of chemical stimuli using a “nose-on-a-chip” are presented. The invention uses cells sensitive to chemical stimuli and detects and processes the signals given by the cells upon contact with chemical stimuli.
Claims16
A device for detecting an odorant, comprising:
- a cell that produces action potentials upon contact with the odorant;
- and
- an on-chip sensor for detecting the action potentials by measuring extracellular changes in voltage or current,
- wherein the cell is selected from the group consisting of olfactory neurons, olfactory cells from insect antennae, and cells that have been engineered to respond by producing the action potentials upon contact with the odorant.
1 more element
A device for detecting an odorant, comprising:
- a first cell that produces an action potentials upon contact with a first osmeotope of the odorant,
- a second cell that produces an action potentials upon contact with a second osmeotope of the odorant,
- a first on-chip sensor for detecting the action potentials of the first cell;
- and a second on-chip sensor for detecting the action potentials of the second cell;
- wherein the cells are selected from the group consisting of olfactory neurons, olfactory cells from insect antennae, and cells that have been engineered to respond by producing the action potentials upon contact with an odorant;
- and detecting the action potentials from the first cell and the actions potentials from the second cell correlate with the presence of the odorant.
3 more elements
A device, for detecting two odorant, each odorant distinguished by a different osmeotope, comprising:
- a first cell that produces action potentials upon contact with an osmeotope of the first odorant;
- a second cell that produces an action potentials upon contact with an osmeotope of the second odorant;
- a first cell clinic on a surface of a chip for containing the first cell;
- a second cell clinic on a surface of a chip for containing the second cell;
- a first on-chip sensor for detecting the action potentials of the first cell;
- and
- a second on-chip sensor for detecting the action potentials of the second cell;
- wherein the cells are selected from the group consisting of olfactory neurons, olfactory cells from insect antennae, and cells that have been engineered to respond by producing the action potentials upon contact with the odorant;
- wherein detecting the action potentials of the first cell correlates with the presence of the first odorant;
- and wherein detecting the action potential of the second cell correlates with the presence of the second odorant.
7 more elements
A method of making a device for detecting a chemical odorant, comprising:
- fabricating on a chip at least one sensor for detecting an action potential of a cell that produces an action potential in response to the odorant;
- and
- loading the cell to be in proximity to the sensor;
- wherein the cell is selected from the group consisting of olfactory neurons, olfactory cells from insect antennae, and cells that have been engineered to respond by producing the action potentials upon contact with the odorant.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.