BIOSENSOR CHIP, BIOSENSOR SYSTEM AND MEASURING INSTRUMENT THEREOF

• US 20090255810A1
• Filed: 02/27/2007
• Published: 10/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Hosoya, Toshifumi, Kitamura, Takahiko, Kaimori, Shingo, Ichino, Moriyasu
• Granted Patent: US 8,012,321 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 204/403.20
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48785 Electrical and electronic details of measuring devices for physical analysis of liquid biological material not specific to a particular test method, e.g. user interface or power supply

Abstract

In a biosensor system and its measuring instrument which determine that a biosensor chip has been inserted and measure biological information on a biological material supplied to the biosensor chip, the size of the biosensor chip is made small, the reliability of the measuring instrument is improved, and the product life becomes long. In addition, a measurement error of the biological information is suppressed in measuring the biological information by inserting a biosensor chip, which has a sensor electrode formed of an electrode member with an electric resistance value higher than a conductive metal, into the measuring instrument. An electrode portion provided in an insertion portion 5 of a measuring instrument 1 is configured such that a ground electrode 12 is used in both a sensor insertion determining circuit 14 and a blood sugar level measuring circuit 15. In addition, a first sensor electrode 21 of the biosensor chip 20 is configured to be shared by the sensor insertion determining circuit 14 and the blood sugar level measuring circuit 15. The biosensor chip includes: the first sensor electrode 21 provided to come in contact with an insertion determining circuit side connector electrode 13 when inserted into the insertion portion 5; a second sensor electrode 22 provided such that one end thereof comes in contact with a measuring circuit side connector electrode 13 and the other end is electrically connected to a reaction portion when inserted into the insertion portion 5; and a third sensor electrode 25 provided such that one end thereof comes in contact with the ground electrode 13 and the other end is electrically connected to the reaction portion 23 when inserted into the insertion portion 5. The first sensor electrode 21 is electrically connected to the reaction portion 23 through the third sensor electrode 25.

Claims

1. A biosensor system comprising:

a biosensor chip; and

a measuring instrument which measures biological information on a biological material supplied to the biosensor chip, wherein

the biosensor chip comprises;

a reaction portion which is formed to be electrically connected to a plurality of sensor electrodes and to which the biological material is supplied, and

the measuring instrument comprises;

an insertion determining circuit which determines attachment and detachment of the biosensor chip;

a biological information measuring circuit which measures the biological information;

an insertion portion into which the biosensor chip can be inserted;

an insertion determining circuit side connector electrode which is electrically connected to the insertion determining circuit and is provided to come in contact with a first sensor electrode when the biosensor chip is inserted into the insertion portion;

a measuring circuit side connector electrode which is electrically connected to the biological information measuring circuit and is provided to come in contact with a second sensor electrode when the biosensor chip is inserted into the insertion portion; and

a ground electrode provided to come in electrical contact with the first sensor electrode when the biosensor chip is inserted into the insertion portion.

2. The biosensor system according to claim 1, wherein

the sensor electrodes are formed of a sensor electrode member having an electric resistance value higher than a conductive metal.

3. The biosensor system according to claim 2, wherein

the sensor electrode member is carbon.

4. A measuring instrument comprising:

an insertion determining circuit which determines attachment and detachment of a biosensor chip;

a biological information measuring circuit which measures biological information;

an insertion portion into which the biosensor chip can be inserted;

an insertion determining circuit side connector electrode which is electrically connected to the insertion determining circuit and is provided to come in contact with a first sensor electrode when the biosensor chip is inserted into the insertion portion;

a measuring circuit side connector electrode which is electrically connected to the biological information measuring circuit and is provided to come in contact with a second sensor electrode when the biosensor chip is inserted into the insertion portion; and

a ground electrode provided to come in electrical contact with the first sensor electrode when the biosensor chip is inserted into the insertion portion.

5. The measuring instrument according to claim 4, further comprising:

a voltage switching section capable of switching a voltage applied to the insertion determining circuit side connector electrode to a reference voltage or a ground potential, wherein

the voltage switching section is set to perform switching from the reference voltage to the ground potential after determination on insertion of the biosensor chip by the sensor insertion determining circuit.

6. A biosensor chip attachable to or detachable from a measuring instrument that comprises a sensor insertion determining circuit which determines attachment and detachment of the biosensor chip, a biological information measuring circuit which measures biological information, an insertion portion into which the biosensor chip can be inserted, an insertion determining circuit side connector electrode which is electrically connected to the sensor insertion determining circuit and is provided in the insertion portion, a measuring circuit side connector electrode which is electrically connected to the biological information measuring circuit and is provided in the insertion portion, and a ground electrode provided in the insertion portion,

the biosensor chip comprising:

a reaction portion to which a biological material is supplied;

a first sensor electrode provided to come in contact with the insertion determining circuit side connector electrode when inserted into the insertion portion;

a second sensor electrode provided such that one end thereof comes in contact with the measuring circuit side connector electrode and the other end is electrically connected to the reaction portion when inserted into the insertion portion; and

a third sensor electrode provided such that one end thereof comes in contact with the ground electrode and the other end is electrically connected to the reaction portion when inserted into the insertion portion, wherein

the first sensor electrode is electrically connected to the reaction portion through the third sensor electrode.

7. The biosensor chip according to claim 6, wherein

the first sensor electrode, the second sensor electrode and the third sensor electrode are formed of a sensor electrode member having an electric resistance value higher than a conductive metal.

8. The biosensor chip according to claim 7, wherein

the sensor electrode member is carbon.