Biosensor

• US 20040016642A1
• Filed: 10/16/2001
• Published: 01/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PHC Holdings Corporation
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsutsumi, Haruhiro, Yamanishi, Eriko, Miyazaki, Shoji
• Granted Patent: US 6,830,669 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 204/403.04
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/001 Enzyme electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/3272 Test elements therefor, i.e. disposable laminated substrates with electrodes, reagent and channels optical biosensors G01N33/52

Abstract

An electrode layer comprising a working electrode 1 and a counter electrode 2, and a reagent layer 10 are formed on an insulating support 5 and, further, a spacer 7 having a long and narrow cut-out portion on the reagent layer 10 is bonded to a cover 6 having an air hole 9 to form a cavity 12 that sucks blood as a liquid sample by capillary phenomenon, and a portion of side walls of the spacer 7 and the cover 6, which side walls face the cavity 12, is subjected to a treatment for making the portion itself have hydrophilicity.

In the biosensor constructed as described above, when blood is sucked from the cavity 12 by capillary phenomenon, the suction is promoted, and the performance of the sensor is improved. Further, the process of manufacturing the sensor is simplified, resulting in increased productivity.

Claims

1. A biosensor which is provided with a cavity into which a liquid sample is drawn by capillary phenomenon, and is able to analyze a component in the liquid sample by a reaction between the drawn liquid sample and a reagent, wherein

the surface itself of at least a portion of side walls of the sensor, said side walls facing the cavity, has hydrophilicity.

2. A biosensor as defined in claim 1 wherein

the side walls of the sensor facing the cavity are made of a resin material in which a surfactant is mixed.

3. A biosensor as defined in claim 2 wherein

the amount of the surfactant to be mixed is 0.01 weight % or more.

4. A biosensor as defined in claim 1 wherein

the side walls of the sensor facing the cavity are made of a film the surface of which is covered with a surfactant.

5. A biosensor as defined in claim 1 wherein

the side walls of the sensor facing the cavity are made of a film the surface of which is covered with a resin having a hydrophilic polar group.

6. A biosensor as defined in claim 4 or 5 wherein

the thickness of the surfactant or the resin having a hydrophilic polar group, which covers the film, is several tens of angstroms or more.

7. A biosensor as defined in claim 1 wherein

the surface of at least a portion of the side walls forming the cavity is chemically reformed.

8. A biosensor as defined in claim 7 wherein

a hydrophilic functional group is formed on the surface of at least a portion of the side walls facing the cavity, by subjecting the surface to any of the following treatments:

plasma discharge, coupling reaction, ozone treatment, and UV treatment.

9. A biosensor as defined in claim 1 wherein

the surface of at least a portion of the side walls facing the cavity is made of a rough surface.

10. A biosensor as defined in claim 9 wherein

a rough surface is formed at the surface of at least a portion of the side walls facing the cavity, by subjecting the surface to any of the following treatments:

sand blasting, electric discharge, non-glare treatment, mat treatment, and chemical plating.

11. A biosensor as defined in any of claims 1 to 10 wherein

the surface of the side wall, on which the reagent that reacts with the liquid sample is formed, has hydrophilicity.

12. A biosensor as defined in any of claims 1 to 10 wherein

the surface of the side wall, on which electrodes that detect the reaction between the liquid sample and the reagent are formed, has hydrophilicity.

13. A biosensor as defined in claim 12 wherein

the surface of the support is made of a rough surface, and the level of the rough surface to be formed is 0.001 μ

m to 1 μ

m.