Sensing array and sensor structure

• US 6,406,668 B1
• Filed: 01/08/1999
• Issued: 06/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: University of Iowa Research Foundation
• Original Assignee: University of Iowa Research Foundation
• Inventors: Dordick, Jonathan S., Kim, Jungbae, Wu, Xiaoqiu
• Primary Examiner(s): SNAY, JEFFREY R
• Application Number:
  US09/227,269
• Time in Patent Office: 1,257 Days
• Field of Search: 422/82.05, 422/82.07, 422/82.08, 436/172
• US Class Current: 422/82.07
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6484 Optical fibres
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/645 Specially adapted constructive features of fluorimeters

Abstract

A sensor and sensing array are disclosed. These devices include one or more fluorescent polymers selected to register one or more analytes. These analytes may include various metal ions or volatile organic compounds. The sensor and sensing array are responsive to excitation light to emit fluorescence responses indicative of the analytes. In particular, the sensing array may provide a pattern of responses operable as a “chemical nose” to identify one or more of the analytes. Techniques for using and making the sensor and sensing array are also disclosed.

Claims

1. An apparatus for sensing a number of analytes in solution, comprising:

a sensor array including a plurality of different polymers, said polymers each including a plurality of phenolic repeating units and each having one of a plurality of different fluorescence responses to the analytes in solution;

an excitation system operable to cause said polymers to fluoresce; and

an emission detection system operable to detect said different fluorescence responses of each of said polymers to determine presence of the analytes when the probe is placed in the solution and said excitation system causes to polymers to fluoresce.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a signal processor operatively coupled to said emission detection system, said signal processor being operable to generate:

a detection pattern of signals from said different fluorescence responses;

at least one comparison signal representing a comparison of the detection pattern to a number of identification patterns stored in said processor; and

an output signal from said at least one comparison signal, said output signal representing at least one of the analytes.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising an output device responsive to said output signal to provide an indication of the presence of the at least one the analytes.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said array is operatively coupled to said excitation system and said detection system by a number of optic fibers.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a first one of said polymers only consists of said phenolic units and a second one of said polymers includes one or more first fluorophore units different from said phenolic units.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein a third one of said polymers includes one or more second fluorophore units different from said one or more first fluorophore units.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said one or more first fluorophore units corresponds to a fluorophore having a free phenolic functionality or a free amino functionality.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of said polymers includes at least one fluorophore unit different from said phenolic units.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of phenolic repeating units is a fluorophore unit.

10. An apparatus for sensing a number of analytes in solution, comprising:

a sensor array comprising a plurality of different polymers, each of said polymers including a plurality of phenolic repeating units and at least one fluorophore unit and each of said polymers having one of a plurality of different fluorescence responses to the analytes in solution;

an excitation system operable to cause said polymers to fluoresce; and

an emission detection system operable to detect said different fluorescence responses of each of said polymers to determine presence of the analytes when the probe is placed in the solution and said excitation system causes to polymers to fluoresce.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the phenolic repeating unit is the same as the fluorophore unit.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the phenolic repeating unit is different from the fluorophore unit.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a signal processor operatively coupled to said emission detection system, said signal processor being operable to generate:

a detection pattern of signals from said different fluorescence responses;

at least one comparison signal representing a comparison of the detection pattern to a number of identification patterns stored in said processor; and

an output signal from said at least one comparison signal, said output signal representing at least one of the analytes.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising an output device responsive to said output signal to provide an indication of the presence of the at least one the analytes.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said array is operatively coupled to said excitation system and said detection system by a number of optic fibers.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein a first one of said polymers only consists of said phenolic units and a second one of said polymers includes one or more first fluorophore units different from said phenolic units.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein a third one of said polymers includes one or more second fluorophore units different from said one or more first fluorophore units.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said one or more first fluorophore units corresponds to a fluorophore having a free phenolic functionality or a free amino functionality.

19. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein at least one of said polymers includes at least one fluorophore unit different from said phenolic units.

20. A method for sensing analytes in solution, said method comprising:

placing a first sensor array in contact with a solution comprising analytes, said first sensor comprising a plurality of different polymers, said polymers each including a plurality of phenolic repeating units and each polymer having one of a plurality of different fluorescence responses to the analytes in solution;

causing one or more of said polymers to fluoresce; and

detecting said different fluorescence responses of each of said polymers to determine the presence of the analytes.