Chemical signal-impermeable mask
First Claim
1. An assembly for use in a monitoring device for monitoring a chemical signal present in a subject, said assembly comprising:
- an ionically conductive material comprising first and second faces, said first face comprising a chemical signal target area, the ionically conductive material comprising water and an electrolyte;
a working electrode, comprising a catalytic face, said catalytic face aligned with the first face of the ionically conductive material corresponding to said chemical signal target area;
an electroosmotic electrode positioned to contact the first face of the ionically conductive material; and
a mask characterized by being substantially impermeable to a chemical signal, said mask positioned relative to the second face of the ionically conductive material opposite the first face such that chemical signal transported through a plane of the mask, through the ionically conductive material, and toward the chemical signal target area is substantially only that chemical signal transported in a direction substantially perpendicular to the chemical signal target area.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A chemical signal-impermeable mask is positioned in the electrolyte flow such that the mask is between a source of chemical signal and a working electrode which senses the chemical signal transported from the source (e.g., by diffusion). The configuration of the mask is such that the mask prevents substantially all chemical signal transport from the chemical signal source having a radial vector component relative to a plane of the mask and the catalytic face of the working electrode, thus allowing primarily only chemical signal transport that is substantially perpendicular to the place of the mask and the catalytic surface of the working electrode. By reducing or eliminating chemical signal radial transport toward the working electrode, the mask thus significantly reduces or eliminates edge effects. By substantially reducing edge effects created by radial transport of chemical signal, it is possible to obtain a more accurate measurement of the amount (e.g., concentration) of chemical signal that is transported from a given area of source material.
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Citations
55 Claims
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1. An assembly for use in a monitoring device for monitoring a chemical signal present in a subject, said assembly comprising:
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an ionically conductive material comprising first and second faces, said first face comprising a chemical signal target area, the ionically conductive material comprising water and an electrolyte;
a working electrode, comprising a catalytic face, said catalytic face aligned with the first face of the ionically conductive material corresponding to said chemical signal target area;
an electroosmotic electrode positioned to contact the first face of the ionically conductive material; and
a mask characterized by being substantially impermeable to a chemical signal, said mask positioned relative to the second face of the ionically conductive material opposite the first face such that chemical signal transported through a plane of the mask, through the ionically conductive material, and toward the chemical signal target area is substantially only that chemical signal transported in a direction substantially perpendicular to the chemical signal target area. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method of measuring an amount or concentration of a chemical signal present in a mammalian subject, said method comprising:
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contacting a surface of the mammalian subject with an assembly comprising;
an ionically conductive material comprising first and second faces, said first face comprising a chemical signal target area, the ionically conductive material comprising water and an electrolyte;
a working electrode, comprising a catalytic face, said catalytic face aligned with the first face of the ionically conductive material corresponding to said chemical signal target area;
an electroosmotic electrode positioned to contact the first face of the ionically conductive material; and
a mask characterized by being substantially impermeable to a chemical signal, said mask positioned relative to the second face of the ionically conductive material opposite the first face such that chemical signal transported through a plane of the mask, through the ionically conductive material, and toward the chemical signal target area is substantially only that chemical signal transported in a direction substantially perpendicular to the chemical signal target area;
transporting the chemical signal through the surface of the mammalian subject, through the plane of the mask, and through the ionically conductive material to the chemical signal target area, wherein said transporting is accomplished by applying an electrical current to the electroosmotic electrode; and
monitoring an electrical signal which is generated at the catalytic surface of the working electrode by catalytic conversion of the chemical signal into the electric signal, wherein the electrical signal generated at the working electrode over a given period of time is correlated with the amount or concentration of compound present in the mammalian subject. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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Specification