Optical sensors with reflective materials

• US 6,254,831 B1
• Filed: 01/21/1998
• Issued: 07/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Bayer Corporation (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Barnard, Steven M., Munkholm, Christiane, Cudmore, Susan L., Sullivan, Kevin J., Mason, Richard W., Collins, Thomas C., Slovacek, Rudolf E.
• Primary Examiner(s): SNAY, JEFFREY R
• Application Number:
  US09/009,917
• Time in Patent Office: 1,259 Days
• Field of Search: 422/82.07, 422/82.08, 250/458.1, 250/459.1
• US Class Current: 422/82.08
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6432 Quenching
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6428 Measuring fluorescence of fluorescent products of reactions or of fluorochrome labelled reactive substances, e.g. measuring quenching effects, using measuring "optrodes" in vivo A61B5/00; immunoassay G01N33/53

Abstract

Provided is an optical sensor including a support and a detection layer, wherein the detection layer includes:

(a) a luminescent material wherein the luminescence intensity of the luminescent material varies as the amount of an analyte varies;

(b) a reflective material having a highly efficient reflectance of the wavelengths of excitation and of emission of the luminescent material; and

(c) a polymeric binder to support and hold together the luminescent material and the reflective material. Such an optical sensor can be advantageously used in the detection of gaseous, ionic, and nonionic analytes in highly scattering samples. Also provided are methods for the manufacture of such optical sensors.

Claims

1. An optical sensor comprising a support and a single detection layer, wherein said detection layer

has a thickness in the range of about 0.2 to 15 μ

m,

has an outer surface for contact with an analyte-containing fluid,

has a response time of less than about 0.7 seconds, and

comprises a mixture of;

(a) a luminescent material wherein the luminescence intensity of said luminescent material varies as the amount of an analyte varies, said luminescent material selected from the group consisting of acridines, fluoresceins, rhodamines, pyrenes, and porphyrins;

(b) a reflective material having a highly efficient reflectance of the wavelengths of excitation and of emission of said luminescent material, the reflective material representing about 5% to 65% by weight of the detection layer; and

(c) a polymeric binder.

2. The optical sensor of claim 1, wherein said detection layer has a thickness of from 0.5 to 10 microns.

3. The optical sensor of claim 1, wherein said detection layer has a thickness of from 1 to 8 microns.

4. The optical sensor of claim 1, wherein said reflective material is present in the amount of 10 to 50% of the weight of said detection layer.

5. The optical sensor of claim 1, wherein said reflective material is present in the amount of 30 to 50% of the weight of said detection layer.

6. The optical sensor of claim 1, wherein said reflective material is a pigment.

7. The optical sensor of claim 1, wherein said reflective material is selected from the group consisting of:

titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, antimony trioxide, barium sulfate, magnesium oxide, and combinations thereof.

8. The optical sensor of claim 1, wherein said reflective material comprises titanium dioxide.

9. The optical sensor of claim 1, wherein said reflective material comprises a blush polymer pigment.

10. The optical sensor of claim 1, wherein said reflective material comprises a combination of a blush polymer pigment and an inorganic pigment.

11. The optical sensor of claim 1, wherein said detection layer is an outermost layer of said optical sensor adapted for contact with a mixture containing said analyte.

12. The optical sensor of claim 1, wherein said optical sensor consists of said support and said detection layer.

13. The optical sensor of claim 1, wherein said luminescent material is a fluorescent material.

14. The optical sensor of claim 1, wherein said polymeric binder comprises one or more polymers selected from the group consisting of:

poly(amides), poly(acrylamides), poly(styrenes), poly(acrylates), poly(alkylacrylates), poly(nitriles), poly(vinyl chlorides), poly(vinyl alcohols), poly(dienes), poly(esters), poly(carbonates), poly(siloxanes), poly(urethanes), poly(olefins), poly(imides), and hetero polymeric combinations thereof;

cellulosics and derivatives thereof.

15. The optical sensor of claim 1, wherein said polymeric binder comprises ethyl cellulose.

16. The optical sensor of claim 1, wherein said polymeric binder comprises a copolymer of N,N-dimethylacrylamide and N-tert-butylacrylamide.

17. The optical sensor of claim 1, wherein said luminescent material is a phosphorescent material.

18. The optical sensor of claim 1, wherein said luminescent material is platinum octaethyl porphyrin.

19. The optical sensor of claim 17, wherein said polymeric binder comprises one or more polymers selected from the group consisting of:

poly(acrylates), poly(alkylacrylates), poly(styrenes), poly(nitriles), poly(vinyl chlorides), poly(dienes), poly(esters), poly(carbonates), poly(siloxanes), poly(urethanes), and poly(olefins); and

hetero polymer combinations thereof.

20. The optical sensor of claim 17, wherein said polymeric binder comprises a copolymer of ethylhexylmethacrylate and methylmethacrylate.

21. The optical sensor of claim 1, wherein said support is substantially transparent to the wavelengths of excitation and of emission of said luminescent material.

22. The optical sensor of claim 21, wherein said support is a flexible plastic film.

23. The optical sensor of claim 1, wherein said analyte is a gas.

24. The optical sensor of claim 23, wherein said gas is selected from the group consisting of:

ammonia, carbon dioxide, and oxygen.

25. The optical sensor of claim 1, wherein said analyte is an ionic material.

26. The optical sensor of claim 1, wherein said analyte is a nonionic material.

27. An optical sensor for use in analyzing the amount of oxygen gas in a sample, comprising a support and a single detection layer, wherein said detection layer

has a thickness in the range of about 0.2 to 15 μ

m,

has an outer surface for contact with the oxygen-containing sample,

has a response time of less than about 0.7 seconds, and

comprises a mixture of;

(a) platinum octaethyl porphyrin;

(b) a reflective material having a highly efficient reflectance of the wavelengths of excitation and of emission of the platinum octaethyl porphyrin, wherein said reflective material comprises one or more reflective materials selected from the group consisting of titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, antimony oxide, barium sulfate, magnesium oxide, and blush polymer pigments, the reflective material representing about 5% to 65% by weight of the detection layer; and

(c) a copolymer of ethylhexylmethacrylate and methylmethacrylate.

28. An optical sensor for use in analyzing the pH of a sample, comprising a single detection layer and a support, wherein said detection layer

has a thickness in the range of about 0.2 to 15 μ

m,

has an outer surface for contact with the sample,

has a response time of less than about 0.7 seconds, and

comprises a mixture of;

(a) a luminescent material selected from the group consisting of acridines, fluoresceins, rhodamines, and pyrenes;

(b) a reflective material having a highly efficient reflectance of the wavelengths of excitation and of emission of the platinum octaethyl porphyrin, wherein said reflective material comprises one or more reflective materials selected from the group consisting of titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, antimony oxide, barium sulfate, magnesium oxide, and blush polymer pigments, the reflective material representing about 5% to 65% by weight of the detection layer; and

(c) ethyl cellulose.

29. An optical sensor for use in analyzing the pH of a sample, comprising a single detection layer and a support, wherein said detection layer

has a thickness in the range of about 0.2 to 15 μ

m,

has an outer surface for contact with the sample,

has a response time of less than about 0.7 seconds, and

comprises a mixture of;

(a) a luminescent material selected from the group consisting of acridines, fluorseceins, rhodamines, and pyrenes;

(b) a reflective material having a highly efficient reflectance of the wavelengths of excitation and of emission of said luminescent material, wherein said reflective material is selected from the group consisting of titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, antimony oxide, barium sulfate, magnesium oxide, and blush polymer pigments, the reflective material representing about 5% to 65% by weight of the detection layer; and

(c) a copolymer of N,N-dimethylacrylamide and N-tert-butylacrylamide.

30. An optical sensor comprising a support and a detection layer comprised of two or more detection regions coated in a pattern on the support, wherein one of the two detection regions

has a thickness in the range of about 0.2 to 15 μ

m,

has an outer surface for contact with an analyte-containing fluid,

has a response time of less than about 0.7 seconds, and

comprises a mixture of;

(a) a luminescent material selected from the group consisting of acridines, fluoresceins, rhodamines, pyrenes and porphyrins;

(b) a reflective material having a highly efficient reflectance of the wavelengths of excitation and of emission of said luminescent material, the reflective material representing about 5% to 65% by weight of the detection layer; and

(c) a polymeric binder.

31. The optical sensor of claim 30, wherein the reflective material comprises one or more reflective materials selected from the group consisting of titanium oxide, zinc oxide, antimony oxide, barium sulfate, magnesium oxide, and blush polymer pigments.

32. The optical sensor of claim 30, wherein the polymeric binder comprises one or more polymers selected from the group consisting of poly(acrylates), poly(alkylacrylates), poly(styrenes), poy(nitriles), poly(vinylchlorides), poly(dienes), poly(esters), poly(carbonates), poly(siloxanes), poly(urethanes), and poly(olefins), and mixtures and copolymers thereof.

33. The optical sensor of claim 30, wherein the detection layer has been cured at a curing temperature above the glass transition temperature of the polymeric binder.

34. The optical sensor of claim 30, wherein each of the detection regions is capable of sensing the concentration of a different analyte.