Electronic techniques for analyte detection

• US 20020098119A1
• Filed: 01/18/2002
• Published: 07/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Goodman, Rodney M.
• Granted Patent: US 6,746,960 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/82.01
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/126 comprising organic polymers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/128 Microapparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/221 by investigating the dielectric properties using microwaves G01N22/00; measuring loss factors or dielectric constants per se G01R27/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0031 comprising two or more sensors, e.g. a sensor array

Abstract

Techniques are used to detect and identify analytes. Techniques are used to fabricate and manufacture sensors to detect analytes. An analyte (1810) is sensed by sensors (1820) that output electrical signals in response to the analyte. The electrical signals are preprocessed (1830) by filtering and amplification. In an embodiment, this preprocessing includes adapting the sensor and electronics to the environment in which the analyte exists. The electrical signals are further processed (1840) to classify and identify the analyte, which may be by a neural network.

Claims

1. A method of analyte identification comprising:

receiving data from a plurality of sensor sites formed on an integrated circuit, wherein a sensor material is constrained at the sensor site and has regions of a nonconductive organic material and a conductive material, and in the presence of an analyte, the sensor material has measurable changes in an electrical property;

storing analog weights from the plurality of sensor sites; and

using the analog weights to identify an analyte.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the analog weights are stored in an analog memory.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the analog weights are stored using a digital memory.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the analog weights are stored using nonvolatile analog memory cells.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

perturbing the analog weights by a pertubation of equal magnitude.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

measuring an output error using a result of perturbing the analog weights.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the perturbation has a random sign.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical property is resistance.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical property is capacitance.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical property is impedance.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the analog weights are stored in an analog form in a plurality of floating gate device memory cells.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein using the analog weights comprises comparing the stored analog weights against a set of analog weights for previously identified analytes.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein using the analog weights further comprises:

identifying the analyte as one of the previously identified analytes when the stored analog weights are similar to the set of analog weights of the previously identified analyte.