Sensor Unit and Biosensor

• US 20080097172A1
• Filed: 11/01/2005
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyushu University
• Original Assignee: Kyushu University, University of Tokyo
• Inventors: Sawada, Renshi, Higurashi, Eiji
• Granted Patent: US 8,352,003 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/310
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0261 using optical means, e.g. infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/49 within a body or fluid

Abstract

A highly miniaturized biosensor and a sensor unit, which can meet a demand for further miniaturization. With this invention, miniaturization is possible, and the number of production steps including those for assembling individual parts can be reduced. Accordingly, mass production will be possible, and cost reduction and high reliability will be achieved. A light emitting unit (21) and a light receiving unit (22) are disposed in a same recess (24) formed on a surface of a semiconductor substrate (23), and a light shielding cover substrate (27) having a first light guide section (25) and a second light guide section (26) is disposed on an upper side of the semiconductor substrate (23). Since the light receiving unit (22) is formed with arrayed light receiving elements (28), the same number of the second light guide sections (26) as the light receiving elements (28) are provided on the light shielding cover substrate (27), and the light receiving surfaces of the light receiving elements (28) are connected to one end of each of the second light guiding sections (26) so as to conform to each other without any gap.

Claims

1. A sensor unit which is to be included in a biosensor that measures values concerning liquid matter inside living tissue by irradiating light emitted from a light emitting unit toward the living tissue situated outside and receiving scattered light from the living tissue by a light receiving unit, the sensor unit having a structure in which the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit are disposed on a same recess formed on a surface of a semiconductor substrate;

a light shielding cover substrate having a light guiding section is disposed on an upper side of the semiconductor substrate;

a light receiving surface of the light receiving unit is connected to one end of the light guiding section so as to conform to each other without any gap;

light emitted from the light emitting unit is irradiated toward the living tissue situated outside; and

scattered light from the living tissue passes through the light guiding section and is received by the light receiving unit.

2. A sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit are monolithically integrated on the semiconductor substrate.

4. A sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein, when the light receiving unit is formed with arrayed light receiving elements, the same number of the light guiding sections as the light receiving elements are provided on the cover substrate;

and the light receiving surface of the light receiving element is connected to one end of each of the light guiding sections so as to conform to each other without any gap.

5. A sensor unit according to claim 2, wherein, when the light receiving unit is formed with arrayed light receiving elements, the same number of the light guiding sections as the light receiving elements are provided on the cover substrate;

and the light receiving surface of the light receiving element is connected to one end of each of the light guiding sections so as to conform to each other without any gap.

7. A sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein the light guiding section is formed with a pinhole or an optical waveguide.

8. A sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of the length of the light guiding section to an opening thereof is 2.5 or more.

9. A sensor unit according to claim 7, wherein a ratio of the length of the light guiding section to an opening thereof is 2.5 or more.

10. A biosensor comprising the sensor unit according to claim 1, and an integrated circuit that includes a circuit for driving the light emitting unit and a digital signal processor for processing signals received from the sensor unit and calculating values concerning liquid matter inside a living body.

11. A biosensor comprising the sensor unit according to claim 7, and an integrated circuit that includes a circuit for driving the light emitting unit and a digital signal processor for processing signals received from the sensor unit and calculating values concerning liquid matter inside a living body.

12. A biosensor comprising the sensor unit according to claim 8, and an integrated circuit that includes a circuit for driving the light emitting unit and a digital signal processor for processing signals received from the sensor unit and calculating values concerning liquid matter inside a living body.

13. A biosensor comprising the sensor unit according to claim 9, and an integrated circuit that includes a circuit for driving the light emitting unit and a digital signal processor for processing signals received from the sensor unit and calculating values concerning liquid matter inside a living body.

3. A sensor unit which is to be included in a biosensor that measures values concerning liquid matter inside living tissue by irradiating light emitted from a light emitting unit toward the living tissue situated outside and receiving transmitted light from the living tissue by a light receiving unit, the sensor unit having a structure in which the light emitting unit is disposed within a first recess formed on a surface of a semiconductor substrate;

the light receiving unit is disposed within a second recess which is another recess formed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate;

a light shielding cover substrate having a light guiding section is provided so as to cover the second recess;

a light receiving surface of the light receiving unit is connected to one end of the light guiding section so as to conform to each other without any gap;

light emitted from the light emitting unit is irradiated toward the living tissue situated outside; and

light transmitted through the living tissue passes through the light guiding section and is received by the light receiving unit.

6. A sensor unit according to claim 3, wherein, when the light receiving unit is formed with arrayed light receiving elements, the same number of the light guiding sections as the light receiving elements are provided on the cover substrate;

and the light receiving surface of the light receiving element is connected to one end of each of the light guiding sections so as to conform to each other without any gap.