Electrochemical cell

• US 20050173246A1
• Filed: 07/22/2003
• Published: 08/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Lifescan Incorporated (Duv Holding Corporation)
• Inventors: Hodges, Alastair McIndoe, Johansen, Oddvar, Beck, Thomas William
• Granted Patent: US 7,604,722 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 204/403.110
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/004 mediator-assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/3272 Test elements therefor, i.e. disposable laminated substrates with electrodes, reagent and channels optical biosensors G01N33/52
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/3273 Devices therefor, e.g. test element readers, circuitry details not specific to biochemical electrodes G01N33/4875
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/403 Cells and electrode assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

This invention relates to a biosensor and more particularly to an electrochemical biosensor for determining the concentration of an analyte in a carrier. The invention is particularly useful for determining the concentration of glucose in blood and is described herein with reference to that use but it should be understood that the invention is applicable to other analytic determinations.

Claims

1. A hollow electrochemical cell for measuring a concentration of glucose in a blood sample, the hollow electrochemical cell comprising:

(a) at least one non-metal working electrode;

(b) at least one counter electrode or counter/reference electrode, wherein the working electrode and the counter electrode or counter/reference electrode are not co-planar and are separated by a distance of from about 20 microns to about 200 microns; and

(c) a spacer interposed between the working electrode and the counter electrode or counter/reference electrode, wherein the spacer comprises a non-conductive polymeric material, and wherein the hollow electrochemical cell has an effective cell volume of less than 1.5 microliters.

2. The hollow electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein at least one non-metal working electrode comprises a material selected from the group consisting of graphite, carbon, and carbon-filled plastic.

3. The hollow electrochemical cell of claim 2, wherein at least one counter electrode or counter/reference electrode comprises a metal substrate or a metal coated substrate.

4. The hollow electrochemical cell of claim 3, wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, platinum, palladium, iridium, lead, and alloys thereof.

5. The hollow electrochemical cell of claim 4, wherein the metal comprises silver, and wherein the blood sample comprises chloride ions and a reduced form of a redox species or an oxidized form of a redox species.

6. The hollow electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein walls of the spacer and the electrodes define the effective cell volume of the hollow electrochemical cell.