Sensor arrays for detecting microorganisms

• US 6,017,440 A
• Filed: 12/11/1998
• Issued: 01/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Freund, Michael S., Lewis, Nathan S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bell, Bruce F.
• Application Number:
  US09/209,914
• Time in Patent Office: 410 Days
• Field of Search: 205/787, 205/782.5, 205/777.5, 205/778, 204/403, 204/406, 204/416, 204/418, 204/415, 422/82.01, 422/82.02, 422/94, 422/98, 422/83, 422/88, 436/150, 435/289.1, 435/817
• US Class Current: 205/777.5
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/126 comprising organic polymers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0031 comprising two or more sensors, e.g. a sensor array
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/497 of gaseous biological material, e.g. breath
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 435/817 Enzyme or microbe electrode

Abstract

A sensor array for detecting a microorganism comprising first and second sensors electrically connected to an electrical measuring apparatus, wherein the sensors comprise a region of nonconducting organic material and a region of conducting material compositionally that is different than the nonconducting organic material and an electrical path through the regions of nonconducting organic material and the conducting material. A system for identifying microorganisms using the sensor array, a computer and a pattern recognition algorithm, such as a neural net are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A sensor array for detecting a microorganism, said sensor array comprising at least a first and a second sensor electrically connected to an electrical measuring apparatus, each of said sensors comprising:

a region of nonconducting organic material and a region of conducting material compositionally different than said nonconducting organic material; and

an electrical path through said regions of nonconducting organic material and said conducting material.

2. A method for detecting a microorganism, said method comprising:

exposing an analyte associated with said microorganism to a sensor array comprising at least a first and a second sensor electrically connected to an electrical measuring apparatus, wherein each of said sensors comprises a region of nonconducting organic material and a region of conducting material compositionally different than said nonconducting organic material; and

measuring an electrical property through said regions of nonconducting organic material and said conducting material, thereby detecting said microorganism.

3. A system for identifying a microorganism, said system comprising:

a sensor array comprising at least a first and a second sensor electrically connected to an electrical measuring apparatus, wherein each of said sensors comprises a region of nonconducting organic material and a region of conducting material compositionally different than said nonconducting organic material; and

a computer comprising a resident algorithm;

said electrical measuring apparatus capable of detecting an electrical response from said first and second sensors and said computer capable of assembling said electrical responses into a response profile for microorganism identification.

4. A system for identifying a microorganism in accordance with claim 3, wherein said resident algorithm of said computer is a neural network.

5. A method for identifying a microorganism, said method comprising:

exposing an analyte associated with said microorganism to a sensor array comprising at least a first and a second sensor electrically connected to an electrical measuring apparatus, wherein each of said sensors comprises a region of nonconducting organic material and a region of conducting material compositionally different than said nonconducting organic material;

measuring an electrical response through said regions of nonconducting organic material and said conducting material; and

assembling said electrical response into a response profile, thereby identifying said microorganism.

6. A method for identifying a microorganism, said method comprising:

exposing an analyte associated with said microorganism to a sensor array comprising at least a first and a second sensor electrically connected to an electrical measuring apparatus, wherein each of said sensors comprises a region of nonconducting organic material and a region of conducting material compositionally different than said nonconducting organic material;

measuring an electrical response through said regions of nonconducting organic material and said conducting material;

assembling said electrical response into a response profile; and

identifying said microorganism using a neural net.