Electrochemical cell

• US 20050067280A1
• Filed: 09/30/2003
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Abbott Diabetes Care Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Abbott Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Reid, Terence Alan, Karika, Shridhara Alva, Wang, Yi, Sanghera, Gurdial, Nagale, Milind P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,357,851 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 204/403.140
• 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 electrochemical cell for detection and quantification of analytes in a liquid sample, particularly a liquid sample having a small volume. In a preferred embodiment, the electrochemical cell comprises an assembly of conducting layers and insulating layers. The electrochemical cell can be formed by depositing conducting materials and insulating materials in alternating layers on an insulating substrate. It is preferred that the layer furthest from the insulating substrate be an insulating layer to minimize the damage of the conducting layers during handling of the electrochemical cell. A passage can be formed through the conducting layers and the insulating layers to expose the edges of the layers, which collectively form the wall or walls of the passage. The exposed edges of the conducting layers form the electrodes of the electrochemical cell. The electrochemical cell comprises at least one working electrode and at least one other electrode, e.g., a dual-purpose reference/counter electrode. In another embodiment, the assembly of conducting layers and insulating layers can be formed on both major surfaces of the insulating substrate. The assembly can comprise at least one working electrode and at least one other electrode, e.g., a dual-purpose reference/counter electrode.

Claims

1. An electrochemical cell comprising an insulating substrate, at least two conducting layers, and at least two insulating layers, wherein said at least two conducting layers are separated by said insulating substrate or by at least one of said insulating layers.

2. The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein said electrochemical cell comprises two conducting layer and two insulating layers.

3. The electrochemical cell of claim 2, further including a third conducting layer and a third insulating layer.

4. The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein at least one conducting layer functions as a working electrode.

5. The electrochemical cell of claim 4, wherein said at least two conducting layers function as working electrodes.

6. The electrochemical cell of claim 5, wherein said working electrodes are capable of determining the presence of, or the concentration of, the same analyte.

7. The electrochemical cell of claim 5, wherein said working electrodes are capable of determining the presence of, or the concentration of, different analytes.

8. The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein at least one conducting layer functions as a counter electrode.

9. The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein at least one conducting layer functions as a reference electrode.

10. The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein at least one conducting layer functions as a dual-purpose reference/counter electrode

11. The electrochemical cell of claim 1, further having at least one passage formed in each of the conducting layers and insulating layers, the passage capable of receiving a liquid sample.

12. The electrochemical cell of claim 11, said at least one passage has a volume not exceeding 1 microliter.

13. The electrochemical cell of claim 11, wherein said passage has a regular shape.

14. The electrochemical cell of claim 11, wherein said passage has an irregular shape.

15. The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein said electrochemical cell further includes at least one reagent in contact with at least one conducting layer.

16. The electrochemical cell of claim 15, wherein said at least one reagent is an enzyme.

17. The electrochemical cell of claim 15, wherein said at least one reagent is integral with said at least one conducting layer.

18. The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein the thickness of each conducting layer does not exceed 100 micrometers.

19. The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein the thickness of each insulating layer does not exceed 100 micrometers.

20. The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein said at least two conducting layers are separated by said insulating substrate.

21. The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein said at least two conducting layers are separated by at least one insulating layer.