Method for analytically utilizing microfabricated sensors during wet-up
DCFirst Claim
1. A method of determining the concentration of a preselected analyte species present in a sample fluid comprising:
- (a) providing an external computational means, a reference electrode and at least one substantially dry-stored microfabricated sensor capable of exhibiting a response to changes in the concentration of a preselected analyte species;
(b) establishing electrical contact between said sensor, reference electrode and external computational means;
(c) contacting said sensor and reference electrode with a calibrant fluid;
(d) performing a first signal measurement in a first time window in the presence of said calibrant fluid before said sensor attains full equilibrated wet-up;
(e) displacing said calibrant fluid after performing said first signal measurement;
(f) contacting said sensor and reference electrode with a sample fluid;
(g) performing a second signal measurement in a second time window in the presence of said sample fluid before said sensor attains full equilibrated wet-up; and
(h) relating said first and second signal measurements to determine the concentration of said preselected analyte species in said sample fluid.
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Abstract
A method of determining the concentration of a preselected analyte species present in a sample fluid is disclosed, which method comprises: (a) providing an external computational means, a reference electrode and at least one substantially dry-stored sensor capable of exhibiting a response to changes in the concentration of a preselected analyte species before the sensor attains full equilibrated wet-up; (b) establishing electrical contact between the sensor, reference electrode and external computational means; (c) contacting the sensor and reference electrode with a calibrant fluid; (d) performing a first signal measurement in a first time window in the presence of the calibrant fluid; (e) displacing the calibrant fluid after performing the first signal measurement; (f) contacting the sensor and reference electrode with a sample fluid; (g) performing a second signal measurement in a second time window in the presence of the sample fluid; and (h) relating the first and second signal measurements to determine the concentration of the preselected analyte species in the sample fluid before said sensor attains full equilibrated wet-up. Alternative methods are disclosed further for collecting, relating and manipulating the results of the signal measurements to provide useful estimates of the analyte concentrations of interest.
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Citations
68 Claims
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1. A method of determining the concentration of a preselected analyte species present in a sample fluid comprising:
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(a) providing an external computational means, a reference electrode and at least one substantially dry-stored microfabricated sensor capable of exhibiting a response to changes in the concentration of a preselected analyte species; (b) establishing electrical contact between said sensor, reference electrode and external computational means; (c) contacting said sensor and reference electrode with a calibrant fluid; (d) performing a first signal measurement in a first time window in the presence of said calibrant fluid before said sensor attains full equilibrated wet-up; (e) displacing said calibrant fluid after performing said first signal measurement; (f) contacting said sensor and reference electrode with a sample fluid; (g) performing a second signal measurement in a second time window in the presence of said sample fluid before said sensor attains full equilibrated wet-up; and (h) relating said first and second signal measurements to determine the concentration of said preselected analyte species in said sample fluid. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 34, 35, 36, 37, 39, 40, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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2. A method of determining the concentration of a preselected analyte species present in a sample fluid comprising:
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(a) providing at least one microfabricated potentiometric sensor sensitive to changes in the concentration of a preselected analyte species, a reference electrode capable of sustaining a well-behaved reference potential for a period of time sufficient to permit the completion of at least two signal measurement before said sensor attains full equilibrated wet-up and external computational means, which sensor and reference electrode have been stored substantially dry; (b) establishing electrical contact between said sensor, reference electrode and external computational means; (c) contacting said sensor and reference electrode with a calibrant fluid; (d) performing a first signal measurement in a first time window in the presence of said calibrant fluid before said sensor attains full equilibrated wet-up; (e) displacing said calibrant fluid after performing said first signal measurement; (f) contacting said sensor and said reference electrode with a sample fluid; (g) performing a second signal measurement in a second time window in the presence of said sample fluid before said sensor attains full equilibrated wet-up; and (h) relating said first and second signal measurements to determine the concentration of said preselected analyte species in said sample fluid. - View Dependent Claims (60)
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3. A method of determining the concentration of a plurality of different preselected analyte species present in a sample fluid comprising:
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(a) providing an array of microfabricated potentiometric and amperometric sensors, each sensitive to changes in the concentration of different preselected analyte species, and external computational means, which array comprises individual sensors and at least two reference electrodes capable of sustaining a well-behaved reference potential for a period of time sufficient to permit the completion of at least two sets of signal measurements before said sensors attain full equilibrated wet-up, one reference electrode being connected to said potentiometric sensors when the other reference electrode is connected to said amperometric sensors, and each of which sensors has been stored substantially dry; (b) establishing electrical contact between said array of sensors and external computational means; (c) contacting said array of sensors with a calibrant fluid; (d) performing a first set of signal measurements in a first time window in the presence of said calibrant fluid before said sensor attains full equilibrated wet-up; (e) displacing said calibrant fluid after performing said first set of signal measurements; (f) contacting said array of sensors with a sample fluid; (g) performing a second set of signal measurements in a second time window in the presence of said sample fluid before said sensor attains full equilibrated wet-up; and (h) relating said first and second sets of signal measurements to determine the concentration of a plurality of the different preselected analyte species in said sample fluid. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 38, 61)
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4. A method of determining the ratio of the concentrations of a preselected analyte species present in two fluids comprising:
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(a) providing at least one microfabricated amperometric sensor sensitive to changes in the concentration of a preselected analyte species, a reference electrode capable of sustaining a well-behaved reference potential for a period of time sufficient to permit the completion of at least two signal measurements before said sensors attain full equilibrated wet-up and external computational means, which sensor and reference electrode have been stored substantially dry; (b) establishing electrical contact between said sensor, reference electrode and external computational means; (c) contacting said sensor and reference electrode with a first fluid; (d) performing a first signal measurement in a first time window in the presence of said first fluid before said sensor attains full equilibrated wet-up; (e) displacing said first fluid after performing said first signal measurement; (f) contacting said sensor and said reference electrode with a second fluid; (g) performing a second signal measurement in a second time window in the presence of said second fluid before said sensor attains full equilibrated wet-up; and (h) relating said first and second signal measurements to determine the ratio of the concentrations of said preselected analyte species in said first and second fluids. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 16, 18, 20, 41, 42)
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5. A method of determining the ratio of the concentrations of a preselected analyte species present in two fluids comprising:
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(a) providing at least one dry-stored microfabricated sensor capable of exhibiting a response to changes in the concentration of a preselected analyte species, which response is fast relative to the monotonic wet-up behavior of said sensor when contacted with a fluid; (b) providing a dry-stored microfabricated reference electrode capable of sustaining a well-behaved reference potential for a period of time sufficient to permit the completion of at least two signal measurements before said sensor attains fully equilibrated wet-up and exhibiting a monotonic wet-up behavior which is similar to that exhibited by said sensor when contacted with a fluid; (c) establishing electrical contact between said sensor, reference electrode and external computational means; (d) contacting said sensor and reference electrode with a first fluid; (e) performing a first signal measurement in a preselected first tie window in the presence of said first fluid before said sensor and reference electrode attain full equilibrated wet-up; (f) displacing said first fluid after performing said first signal measurement; (g) contacting said sensor and reference electrode with a second fluid; (h) performing a second signal measurement in a preselected second time window in the presence of said second fluid before said sensor and reference electrode attain full equilibrated wet-up; (i) relating the first and second signal measurements to determine the ratio of the concentrations of said analyte species in said first and second fluids by a computational method which distinguishes the relatively fast response of the sensor to changes in the concentration of said preselected analyte from the slower monotonic wet-up behavior of said sensor and reference electrode.
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Specification