MODULAR NANO AND MICROSCALE SENSORS

• US 20110291643A1
• Filed: 06/01/2011
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corporation (University System of Georgia)
• Original Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corporation (University System of Georgia)
• Inventors: Bakir, Muhannad, RAVINDRAN, RAMASAMY
• Granted Patent: US 8,803,509 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/126
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/3278 involving nanosized elements, e.g. nanogaps or nanoparticles nanopores G01N33/48721; magnetic beads G01N27/745

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention disclose a modular testing assay. According to various embodiments of the present invention, the sensor arrays, or microplates, are removably attached to a substrate. In some embodiments, the electrical connection between the sensors of the sensor array and the substrate provide for the removal of one sensor array or microplate with another or similar sensor array. The sensor arrays can be aligned using various types of alignment devices or the substrate can be configured to allow various alignments and spatial orientations of one or more sensor arrays.

Claims

1. An assay apparatus for sensing at least one characteristic of a target, comprising:

a plurality of electronic microplates comprising a plurality of sensors;

an electronics layer for communicating with an output device; and

one or more of disconnectable interconnects that communicatively connect one or more of the plurality of sensors with the electronics layer;

wherein the plurality of electronic microplates are removably affixed to the electronics layer via the one or more of disconnectable interconnects.

2. The assay of claim 1, wherein at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors is a silicon nanowire array.

3. The assay of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors are sensors for detecting one or more of a mass, a charge, a biological measurement, or combinations thereof of the target.

4. The assay of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors detect more than one characteristic of the target.

5. The assay of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors is interchangeable with at least one of another of the plurality of sensors.

6. The assay of claim 1, wherein the one or more disconnectable interconnects comprise one or more of electrical leads, electrical pads, fluidic chambers, or combinations thereof.

7. The assay of claim 1, further comprising an alignment device that aligns at least one of the plurality of microplates in relation to the electronics layer.

8. The assay of claim 7, wherein the alignment device is one or more of a barrier, well, alignment pin, or combinations thereof.

9. A measurement system for measuring at least one characteristic of a target, comprising:

an assay apparatus comprising;

an electronics layer;

a plurality of sensor arrays removably installed on the electronics layer, wherein the plurality of sensor arrays comprise a plurality of sensors; and

one or more disconnectable interconnects that communicatively connect one or more of the plurality of sensors with the electronics layer, wherein the plurality of sensors of the plurality of sensor arrays are removably affixed to the electronics layer via the one or more disconnectable interconnects; and

a detector device communicatively connected to the electronics layer that determines a type of sensor of at least one of the plurality of sensors.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors detect one or more of a mass, a charge, a biological measurement, or combinations thereof of the target.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein at least one of the plurality of sensor arrays detect more than one component characteristic of the target.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors is interchangeable with at least one of another of the plurality of sensors.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more disconnectable interconnects comprise one or more of electrical leads, electrical pads, a ball grid array, fluidic chambers, or combinations thereof.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the detector device comprises a sensor that detects when a sensor of the plurality of sensors is installed or removed on the electronics microplate.

15. The system of claim 9, further comprising a heating or cooling element that controls a temperature of at least a portion of the electronics layer.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the detector device is configured according to a type of sensor installed

17. The system of claim 9, wherein at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors is a silicon nanowire array.