Resonant sensor and sensing system

• US 20060196253A1
• Filed: 02/17/2006
• Published: 09/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ProterixBio, Inc.
• Original Assignee: BioScale, Inc.
• Inventors: Crawley, Edward, Srivastava, Alok, Miller, Michael, Schmidt, Martin, Masters, Brett P., Lundstrom, Mark
• Application Number:
  US11/357,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20060196253A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/53.01
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0214 Biosensors; Chemical sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 3/0089 Chemical or biological characteristics, e.g. layer which makes a surface chemically active
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 35/00 Methods or apparatus for measurement or analysis of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 40/00 Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/10 by measuring variations of frequency of stressed vibrating elements, e.g. of stressed strings using resistance strain gauges G01L1/22
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0257 with a layer containing at least one organic compound
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0427 Flexural waves, plate waves, e.g. Lamb waves, tuning fork, cantilever
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/036 by measuring frequency or resonance of acoustic waves

Abstract

The disclosed sensor chip includes a substrate and a moving member coupled to the substrate and disposed for movement relative to the substrate. The moving member moves relative to the substrate in a first direction and in a second direction in response to movement of the substrate. The first direction is different than the second direction. The moving member includes a plurality of receptors. The receptors are configured for selectively binding to a first measurand.

Claims

1-40. -40. (canceled)

41. An apparatus for determining a property of a sample, comprising:

a substrate;

a moving member

i) coupled to the substrate by a plurality of connections, and

ii) moving relative to the substrate; and

at least one receptor area located on the moving member for selectively binding to a first measurand.

42. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a plurality of tethers for coupling the substrate to the moving member.

43. The apparatus of claim 42 wherein the tethers are elastic and allow for movement of the moving member relative to the substrate.

44. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein the moving member moves relative to the substrate in a plurality of directions.

45. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein motion of the substrate excites motion in the moving member.

46. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein the moving member oscillates in more than one mode.

47. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein the substrate defines a plane and the moving member moves relative to the substrate in the plane of the substrate.

48. The apparatus of claim 47 wherein a first direction is substantially perpendicular to a second direction.

49. The apparatus of claim 47 wherein a first direction is substantially linear and a second direction is rotational.

50. The apparatus of claim 47 wherein the moving member defines a second plane, the second plane substantially parallel to the substrate plane.

51. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein the moving member oscillates relative to the substrate.

52. The apparatus of claim 51 wherein the moving member oscillates in at least two directions relative to the substrate.

53. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein the receptor area is centrally disposed on the moving member.

54. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein the receptor area is distributed over the moving member.

55. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein the receptor area comprises a plurality of receptor sites.

56. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein the receptor area can bind at least two different measurands.

57. The apparatus of claim 41, comprising a blocking site located on the moving member limiting binding of materials in a sample to the moving member.

58. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein the measurand is at least one of a biological or chemical measurand.

59. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein environmental factors affecting operation of the apparatus are discriminated from effects of the measurand on the apparatus.

60. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein the moving member is excited by motion of the substrate.

61. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein a system measures motion of the moving member.

62. The apparatus of claim 61 wherein motion of the moving member is measured relative to the substrate.

63. A method for determining a property of a sample, comprising:

exposing a first receptor area of a member to a first measurand;

moving a substrate that is coupled to the member by a plurality of connections; and

monitoring movement of the member relative to the substrate.

64. The method of claim 63 wherein the member moves relative to the substrate in a plurality of directions.

65. The method of claim 63 wherein motion of the substrate excites motion in the member.

66. The method of claim 65 wherein a first direction is substantially perpendicular to a second direction.

67. The method of claim 65 wherein a first direction is substantially linear and a second direction is rotational.

68. The method of claim 63 wherein movement of the member is monitored relative to the substrate in a place of the substrate.

69. The method of claim 68 wherein the member defines a second plane, the second plane substantially parallel to the substrate plane.

70. The method of claim 63 wherein the member oscillates relative to the substrate.

71. The method of claim 70 wherein the member oscillates in at least two directions relative to the substrate.

72. The method of claim 63 wherein the receptor area is centrally disposed on the member.

73. The method of claim 63 wherein the receptor area is distributed over the member.

74. The method of claim 63 wherein the receptor area comprises a plurality of receptor sites.

75. The method of claim 73 exposing the receptor area to a second measurand, wherein the first and second measurand bind to the receptor area.

76. The method of claim 63 wherein the member comprises a blocking site for limiting binding of materials in a sample to the moving member.

77. The method of claim 63 wherein the measurand is at least one of a biological or chemical measurand.

78. The method of claim 63, comprising discriminating between environmental factors affecting operation of the apparatus and effects of the measurand affecting operation of the apparatus.

79. The method of claim 63, comprising exciting the member by motion of the substrate.

80. The method of claim 63, comprising measuring motion of the member.

81. The method of claim 80 wherein motion of the member is measured relative to the substrate.

82. An apparatus for determining a property of a sample, comprising:

means for exposing a first receptor area of a member to a first measurand;

means for moving a substrate that is coupled to the member by a plurality of connections; and

means for monitoring movement of the member relative to the substrate.