Biosensor

• US 20030178302A1
• Filed: 03/21/2002
• Published: 09/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Hill, Brian S., Bhullar, Raghbir S., Austera, John T.
• Granted Patent: US 6,866,758 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 204/403.01
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/3272 Test elements therefor, i.e. disposable laminated substrates with electrodes, reagent and channels optical biosensors G01N33/52

Abstract

A biosensor is provided in accordance with the present invention. The biosensor includes an electrode support substrate, electrodes positioned on the electrode support, each electrode including a meter-contact portion and a measurement portion, and a sensor support substrate. The sensor support substrate cooperates with the electrode support substrate to define channel in alignment with the measurement portion of the electrodes. Additionally, the sensor support substrate includes opposite ends and at least one window. The at least one window is spaced-apart from the ends and in alignment with the meter-contact portion of at least one of the electrodes.

Claims

1. A biosensor comprising:

an electrode support substrate,

electrodes positioned on the electrode support, each electrode including a meter-contact portion and a measurement portion, and

a sensor support substrate cooperating with the electrode support substrate to define a channel in alignment with the measurement portion of the electrodes, the sensor support substrate including opposite ends and at least one window, the at least one window being spaced-apart from the ends and in alignment with the meter-contact portion of at least one of the electrodes.

2. The biosensor of claim 1 further comprising a cover substrate coupled to the sensor support substrate.

3. The biosensor of claim 2 wherein the cover substrate cooperates with the electrode support substrate and the sensor support substrate to define the channel.

4. The biosensor of claim 1 further comprising a reagent positioned on the electrode support substrate and spaced-apart from the meter-contact portion of the electrodes.

5. The biosensor of claim 1 wherein the dimensions of at least one of the windows are greater than the dimensions of the meter-contact portion of the respective electrodes.

6. The biosensor of claim 1 wherein the sensor support substrate includes three windows.

7. The biosensor of claim 1 wherein the sensor support substrate includes four windows.

8. The biosensor of claim 1 wherein the sensor support substrate includes five windows.

9. The biosensor of claim 1 wherein the electrode support substrate includes a greater number of electrodes than the sensor support substrate includes windows.

10. The biosensor of claim 1 further comprising a second sensor support substrate coupled to the electrode support substrate, the second sensor support substrate including opposite ends and at least one window, the at least one window being spaced-apart from the ends and in alignment with the meter-contact portion of at least one of the electrodes.

11. A method of forming a biosensor, the method comprising the steps of:

forming electrodes on a first surface of an electrode support substrate, each electrode including a meter-contact portion and a measurement portion,

forming a sensor support substrate having opposite ends and at least one window spaced apart from the opposite ends,

coupling the sensor support and the electrode support substrate together so that the at least one window is aligned with the meter-contact portion of the electrodes, and

applying a reagent to the measurement portion of the electrodes.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the windows are used to perform alignment of the sensor support substrate with the sensor support substrate.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of forming electrodes on a second surface of the electrode support substrate.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the steps of forming a second sensor support substrate and coupling the second sensor support substrate to the second surface of the electrode support substrate.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the sensor support substrate includes windows and the coupling step includes aligning the windows of the sensor support substrate with the electrodes on the second surface.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the electrodes are formed on the electrode support substrate with a laser.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein an equal number of electrodes are formed on the electrode support substrate as are windows formed in the sensor support substrate.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein a greater number of electrodes are formed on the electrode support substrate than are windows formed in the sensor support substrate.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein at least one window is formed to expose greater than one electrode.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein an equal number of electrodes are formed on the electrode support substrate as are windows formed in the sensor support substrate.

21. The method of claim 11 wherein a greater number of windows are formed on the electrode support substrate as are electrodes formed on the electrode support substrate

22. The method of claim 11 further comprising forming an opening in the sensor support substrate and the coupling step includes aligning the opening with the measurement portion of the electrodes.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising coupling a cover substrate to the spacer support substrate so that the cover extends across the opening.

29. The biosensor of claim 22 further comprising a second sensor support substrate coupled to the electrode support substrate, the second sensor support substrate including opposite ends and at least one window, the at least one window being spaced-apart from the ends and in alignment with the meter-contact portion of at least one of the electrodes.

24. A biosensor comprising:

an electrode support substrate,

electrodes positioned on the electrode support substrate, each electrode including a meter-contact portion and a measurement portion,

a sensor support substrate coupled to the electrode support substrate, the sensor support substrate including opposite ends, an opening in alignment with the measurement portion of the electrodes and at least one window spaced-apart from the ends and in alignment with the meter-contact portion of the electrodes, and

a cover coupled to the sensor support substrate.

25. The biosensor of claim 24 wherein the cover extends across the opening.

26. The biosensor of claim 24 wherein the electrode support substrate includes opposite first and second ends and the meter-contact portions are spaced apart from ends.

27. The biosensor of claim 24 wherein the electrode support substrate includes a greater number of electrodes than the sensor support substrate includes windows.

28. The method of claim 24 wherein the electrode support substrate includes an equal number of electrodes as windows formed in the sensor support substrate.