Sensor arrangement comprising an electrode for detecting diffused loaded particles

• US 20090308741A1
• Filed: 05/24/2005
• Published: 12/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica GmbH (C.H. Boehringer Sohn AG & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Frey, Alexander, Hofmann, Franz
• Granted Patent: US 8,480,877 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 204/403.10
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6825 Nucleic acid detection involving sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/3277 being a redox reaction, e.g. detection by cyclic voltammetry voltammetry per se G01N27/42, G01N27/48
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/5438 Electrodes

Abstract

A sensor arrangement for detecting particles potentially contained in an analyte is disclosed. The arrangement includes a substrate; at least one sensor electrode which is arranged on and/or in the substrate and on which scavenger molecules, which hybridize with particles that are potentially contained in an analyte and are to be detected, are immobilized, electrically charged particles generated by hybridization being detectable on the at least one sensor electrode; and at least one diffusion detection electrode which is arranged in a surrounding region of the at least one sensor electrode and is embodied in such a way that it detects electrically charged particles that are generated by hybridization and can be diffused away by the at least one sensor electrode.

Claims

1. A sensor arrangement for detecting particles possibly contained in an analyte, comprising:

a substrate;

at least one sensor electrode, arranged at least one of on and in the substrate, on which capture molecules are immobilizable and are set up in such a way that they hybridize with particles to be detected that are possibly contained in an analyte, electrically charged particles generated in a hybridization event being detectable at the at least one sensor electrode.

at least one diffusion detection electrode, arranged in a surrounding region of the at least one sensor electrode, set up in such a way that it detects electrically charged particles that are diffusing away from the at least one sensor electrode and are generated in the event of a hybridization event; and

a control device, coupled to the at least one diffusion detection electrode, set up in such a way that it ends a detection operating state when a signal at the at least one diffusion detection electrode reaches a threshold value.

2. The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1, herein the arrangement includes two sensor electrodes that form an interdigital electrode arrangement.

3. The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1, set up as a biosensor arrangement.

4. The sensor arrangement as claimed in of claim 1, set up as a redox cycling arrangement.

5. The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1, monolithically integrated in the substrate.

6. The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1, comprising a compartmentalization device, is arranged around the at least one sensor electrode.

7. The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the arrangement includes two diffusion detection electrodes, provided in an interlocking fashion.

8. The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one diffusion detection electrode surrounds the at least one sensor electrode in a substantially annular fashion.

9. The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one diffusion detection electrode is free of capture molecules.

10. The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control device is coupled to the at least one sensor electrode and is set up in such a way that it ends a detection operating state when a signal at the at least one sensor electrode reaches a saturation state.

11. The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the arrangement includes a first and a second sensor electrode, a first and a second diffusion detection electrode and a potential control device that is set up in such a way that it provides the first sensor electrode and the first diffusion detection electrode with an electrical reference potential, and is set up for controlling the electrical potential of the second sensor electrode and of the second diffusion detection electrode.

12. The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 11, comprising a signal processing device for processing a signal of at least one of the second sensor electrode and the second diffusion detection electrode.

13. The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 12, further comprising a multiplexer device that selectively couples the signal processing device with the second sensor electrode or with the second diffusion detection electrode.

14. A sensor array comprising a plurality of sensor arrangements, formed at least one of on and in the substrate, as claimed in claims 1.

15. The sensor array as claimed in claim 14, further comprising an amplifier device for amplifying a signal of the at least one diffusion detection device, the amplifier device being provided jointly for a plurality of the sensor arrangements.

16. The sensor array as claimed in claim 14, wherein diffusion detection electrodes are arranged in regions between sensor electrodes of different sensor arrangements.

22. The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 2, set up as a biosensor arrangement.

23. The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 2, set up as a redox cycling arrangement.

24. The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 2, monolithically integrated in the substrate.

25. The sensor array as claimed in claim 15, wherein diffusion detection electrodes are arranged in regions between sensor electrodes of different sensor arrangements.

17. A method for producing a sensor arrangement for detecting particles possibly contained in an analyte, comprising:

forming at least one sensor electrode at least one of on and in a substrate;

immobilizing capture molecules on the at least one sensor electrode and setting them up in such a way that they hybridize with particles to be detected that are possibly contained in an analyte, electrically charged particles generated in a hybridization event being detectable at the at least one sensor electrode; and

forming at least one diffusion detection electrode in a surrounding region of the at least one sensor electrode and setting it up in such a way that it detects electrically charged particles that are diffusing away from the at least one sensor electrode and are generated in the event of a hybridization event.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the at least one diffusion detection electrode is kept free of capture molecules by providing it from a material on which capture molecules cannot be immobilized.

19. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the at least one diffusion detection electrode is kept free of capture molecules by firstly immobilizing capture molecules on the at least one diffusion detection electrode and subsequently removing the capture molecules from the at least one diffusion detection electrode.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the capture molecules are removed from the at least one diffusion detection electrode by applying an electrical potential to the at least one diffusion detection electrode.

21. (canceled)