Microbiosensor used in-situ
First Claim
1. A microbiosensor that is an amperometric, internal referenced, oxygen microelectrode measuring device, having a biological interface as a sensing device that consumes or generates oxygen when exposed to an organic analyte in a response directly proportional to the tapered concentration of the analyte comprising:
- a tapered casing having an aperture at its tip no greater than 40 micrometers,enclosed within the tapered casing an anode, which serves as an internal reference;
a cathode;
an electrolyte therebetween and a membrane in the aperture that prevents contact between a specimen and the components inside the tapered casing, andattached to the tip an immobilized biological interface layer which measures an analyte.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is a novel, ultra-small tip, internal referenced, amperometric microbiosensor that uses an immobilized biological interface to measure the concentration of an analyte in a specimen. It consists of a casing that narrows to an aperture having a diameter at the tip no greater than 4 μm; enclosed within the casing a reference electrode and a working electrode both immersed in electrolyte; within the aperture, an inner polymer film, an immobilized biological interface layer, and an outer specimen-compatible, non-virulent polymer film. Another important feature of the present invention is that the microbiosensor can readily be encased in a durable protective sheath. The microbiosensor is especially useful in situ for specimens that cannot be mixed, such as in situ compounds in unmixed fluid, or semi-solid specimens. The microbiosensor provides 90% response time less than 5 seconds and typically about 1 second, less than 5% change in output current due to changes in the stirring rate, and the ability to measure in viscous, semi-solid or porous-solid specimens with a spatial resolution as small as 30 μm.
-
Citations
15 Claims
-
1. A microbiosensor that is an amperometric, internal referenced, oxygen microelectrode measuring device, having a biological interface as a sensing device that consumes or generates oxygen when exposed to an organic analyte in a response directly proportional to the tapered concentration of the analyte comprising:
-
a tapered casing having an aperture at its tip no greater than 40 micrometers, enclosed within the tapered casing an anode, which serves as an internal reference;
a cathode;
an electrolyte therebetween and a membrane in the aperture that prevents contact between a specimen and the components inside the tapered casing, andattached to the tip an immobilized biological interface layer which measures an analyte. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A cylindroconical-type microbiosensor comprising:
-
a tapered casing having an aperture at its tip of no greater than 4 micrometers; enclosed within the tapered casing an anode, which serves as an internal reference;
a cathode;
an electrolyte therebetween, and a membrane in the aperture that prevents contact between the specimen and the components inside the tapered casing, andattached to the tip an immobilized biological interface layer no greater than 25 micrometers in diameter which measures an analyte, and the tip being enclosed within a sheath. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
-
Specification