Sensor

• US 20060099107A1
• Filed: 05/11/2004
• Published: 05/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Healthcare Holdings Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Tomohiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,550,290 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/534
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0684 Venting, avoiding backpressure, avoid gas bubbles
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0663 Whole sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0681 Filter
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0825 Test strips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0874 Three dimensional network
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0887 Laminated structure
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0406 capillary forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50273 characterised by the means or forces applied to move the fluids micropumps F04B19/006, of the membrane type F04B43/043
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502753 characterised by bulk separation arrangements on lab-on-a-chip devices, e.g. for filtration or centrifugation separation in general B01D; microapparatus for analysis using electrophoresis G01N27/44791; sample preparation G01N1/28
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/002 Electrode membranes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48707 by electrical means G01N33/49, G01N33/493 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 435/817 Enzyme or microbe electrode
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 436/806 Electrical property or magnetic property

Abstract

In order to realize a sensor that is capable of promptly and accurately supplying a small amount of a liquid sample to a filtration part even if the sensor is not held substantially horizontally, this invention provides a sensor having means for supplying a liquid sample to the filtration part by capillary action.

Claims

1. A sensor comprising:

a filtration part;

supply means of supplying a liquid sample to said filtration part by capillary action; and

a reaction part having a reagent that reacts with the liquid sample that has been filtered in said filtration part.

2. The sensor in accordance with claim 1, wherein said reaction part is provided on a base plate, and said supply means sucks said liquid sample in a substantially horizontal direction relative to said base plate.

3. The sensor in accordance with claim 2, wherein said filtration part filters said liquid sample supplied from said supply means in a direction substantially vertical to said base plate.

4. The sensor in accordance with claim 1, wherein said supply means has a first opening to which said liquid sample is supplied, and a second opening through which said liquid sample is supplied to said filtration part, with a space connecting said first opening and said second opening.

5. The sensor in accordance with claim 4, wherein an air vent is arranged in said supply means such that the liquid sample supplied to said first opening is sucked into said second opening.

6. The sensor in accordance with claim 5, wherein said air vent and said first opening are arranged on opposite sides of said second opening of said supply means.

7. The sensor in accordance with claim 6, wherein said supply means includes a first cover, spacers, and a second cover, said second opening is provided in said second cover, and said spacers form said first opening and said air vent.

8. The sensor in accordance with claim 6, wherein said space narrows from said first opening toward said second opening.

9. The sensor in accordance with claim 8, wherein said space narrows from said air vent toward said second opening.

10. The sensor in accordance with claim 6, wherein the distance from said first opening to said second opening is equal to or grater than the distance from said second opening to said air vent.

11. The sensor in accordance with claim 7, wherein the largest width of said second opening is equal to or greater than the smallest width of said space.

12. The sensor in accordance with claim 6, wherein the largest width of said second opening is equal to or less than the distance from the center of said second opening to said air vent.

13. The sensor in accordance with claim 6, wherein said filtration part comprises a filter that filters said liquid sample, and the cross-sectional area of said second opening is smaller than the cross-sectional area of said filter.

14. The sensor in accordance with claim 13, wherein the cross-section of said second opening is similar to the cross-section of said filter.

15. The sensor in accordance with claim 14, wherein the volume of said space from said first opening to said second opening is equal to or larger than the total volume of the volume of a gap around said filter and the volume of a space inside said reaction part.

16. The sensor in accordance with claim 1, wherein said reaction part has a second air vent.