APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ELECTROCHEMICAL DETECTION

• US 20100252452A1
• Filed: 10/25/2008
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Universal Biosensors Pty Ltd. (Universal Biosensors, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Universal Biosensors Pty Ltd. (Universal Biosensors, Inc.)
• Inventors: Newman, Peter Michael, Hodges, Alastair M.
• Application Number:
  US12/739,948
• Publication Number:
  US 20100252452A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 205/792
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/56 involving blood clotting factors, e.g. involving thrombin, thromboplastin, fibrinogen
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/4905 Determining clotting time of blood by chemical methods G01N33/86, C12Q1/56
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/86 involving blood coagulating time or factors, or their receptors

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a sensor with opposing electrodes and test strips using this sensor. The invention can be used to measure blood or plasma coagulation in assays like prothrombin time (PT) and thrombin potential, for example, in point-of-care monitoring of anticoagulants.

Claims

1. An opposing-electrode sensor comprising a working electrode, a counter electrode, and an electrochemical substrate, wherein the sensor detects cleavage of the electrochemical substrate.

2. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the electrochemical substrate is not immobilized on the working electrode.

3. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the electrochemical substrate is a substrate for thrombin comprising a peptide bound to a leaving group that becomes electroactive once cleaved by thrombin.

4. The sensor of claim 1, further comprising a meter connected to the sensor, wherein the meter determines a coagulation time for a sample being tested.

5. The sensor of claim 4, wherein the meter displays or outputs a result comprising the coagulation time or a result or value dependent upon the coagulation time.

6. The sensor of claim 1, further comprising a meter connected to the sensor, wherein the meter displays or outputs a result comprising a parameter of thrombin generation in the sample tested.

7. The sensor of claim 1, further comprising a test strip for measuring blood or plasma coagulation time in a sample.

13. The sensor of claim 7, wherein the test strip further comprises a means for verifying strip integrity.

8-12. -12. (canceled)

14. A method of measuring blood or plasma coagulation comprising:

obtaining a blood sample from a patient;

adding the blood sample to an opposing-electrode sensor comprising a working electrode, a counter electrode, and an electrochemical substrate, wherein the sensor detects cleavage of the electrochemical substrate; and

analyzing the sample using the sensor to determine at least one blood or plasma coagulation property of the sample.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the method is performed at the point of care.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises a meter connected to the sensor, wherein the meter displays or outputs a result comprising a parameter of thrombin generation in the sample tested.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the patient is taking an anticoagulant medication.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the anticoagulant medication is a vitamin K antagonist.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the sample is obtained from the patient by a finger prick of the patient.