Self-powered biosensor

• US 20040245101A1
• Filed: 08/03/2004
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yissum Research Development Company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Ltd. (Hebrew University of Jerusalem)
• Original Assignee: Yissum Research Development Company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Ltd. (Hebrew University of Jerusalem)
• Inventors: Willner, Itamar, Katz, Evgeny
• Granted Patent: US 7,485,212 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 204/403.01
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/004 mediator-assisted
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/16 Biochemical fuel cells, i.e. cells in which microorganisms function as catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

The present invention provides a system for the determination of an analyte in a liquid medium. The system comprises a self-powered biosensor and a detector for measuring an electrical signal generated by said biosensor while the analyte is being oxidized or reduced, the biosensor comprising a pair of electrodes, one of the electrodes being an anode and the other a cat-ode, both of which carry redox enzymes on their surface. An enzyme carried on one of the electrodes can catalyze an oxidation or reduction reaction in which the analyte is oxidized or reduced, respectively, and the other of said pair of electrodes carries on its surface enzymes that can catalyze a reaction in which the oxidizer or the reducer are reduced or oxidized, respectively, in the presence of the analyte.

Claims

1-19. -19. (cancelled)

20. A system for the determination of an analyte in a liquid medium comprising a self-powered biosensor and a detector for measuring an electrical signal generated by said biosensor while the analyte is being oxidized or reduced, the analyte being capable of undergoing a biocatalytic oxidation or reduction in the presence of an oxidizer or reducer, respectively, said biosensor comprising a pair of electrodes, one of the electrodes being an anode and the other a cathode, both of which carry redox enzymes on their surface, an enzyme carried on one of the electrodes can catalyze an oxidation or reduction reaction in which the analyte is oxidized or reduced, respectively, and the other of said pair of electrodes carrying on its surface enzymes that can catalyze a reaction in which the oxidizer or the reducer are reduced or oxidized, respectively, in the presence of the analyte.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said analyte is an organic analyte.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein at least one of the two electrodes carries an electron mediator group that can transfer electrons between the enzymes and the anode or the cathode substrate.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein both electrodes carry an electron mediator group on their surface.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the oxidizer is oxygen that is reduced to water.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the redox enzymes are cofactor-dependent enzymes and the cofactor is selected from flavin adenine dinucleotide phosphate (FAD), pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ), nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺), nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP⁺), hemes and iron-sulfur clusters.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein said organic analyte is selected from the group consisting of sugar molecules, hydroxy, carbonyl or carboxy compounds and amino acids.

27. The system of claim 20, wherein the electrodes are each independently made of or coated by a material selected from gold, platinum, palladium, silver, carbon, copper, and indium tin oxide.

28. The system of claim 20, wherein the enzymes carried on the anode electrode are selected from glucose oxidase (GOx), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), fructose dehydrogenase, cholin oxidase, amino oxidase and alcohol dehydrogenase.

29. The system of claim 20, wherein the enzymes carried on the cathode electrode are selected from Lacase and a complex formed of Cytochrome c/Cytochrome oxydase (Cox).

30. The system of claim 20, further comprising a membrane between the anode and the cathode.

31. The system of claim 20, wherein the biosensor is adapted for invasive measurements of an analyte in a body fluid of a tested subject.

32. A method for determining an analyte in a liquid medium, said analyte being capable to undergo a biocatalytic oxidation or reduction in the presence of an oxidizer or a reducer, respectively, the method comprising:

(i) providing the system of claim 20;

(ii) contacting the biosensor of said system with the liquid medium;

(iii) measuring the electric signal generated between the cathode and the anode, said electric signal being indicative of the presence and/or the concentration of said analyte;

(iv) determining said analyte based on said signal.

33. A method according to claim 32, wherein said oxidizer is oxygen.

34. A method according to claim 32, comprising adding an oxidizer or a reducer to the medium.

35. A method according to claim 32, wherein said liquid medium is a body fluid, said method comprising inserting said biosensor into the body and bringing it into contact with the body fluid and determining said analyte in said body fluid within the body.

36. A method according to claim 32, wherein said liquid medium is a body fluid, said method being carried out in a non-invasive manner.

37. A method according to claim 35, wherein said body fluid is blood, lymph fluid or cerebro-spinal fluid.

38. A method according to claim 36, wherein said body fluid is blood, lymph fluid or cerebro-spinal fluid.

39. A method according to claim 35, wherein said analyte is selected from sugar molecules, lactate, billirubin, alcohols and amino acids.

40. A method according to claim 36, wherein said analyte is selected from sugar molecules, lactate, billirubin, alcohols and amino acids.