Apparatus for measuring biochemical components

• US 6,780,297 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2001
• Issued: 08/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Toru, Nakamura, Akinobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Olsen, Kaj K.
• Application Number:
  US10/013,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20020072103A1
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: 204/403.01, 204/403.03, 204/403.04, 204/403.05, 204/409
• US Class Current: 204/403.01
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/001 Enzyme electrodes

Abstract

A measuring apparatus for a biochemical compound has a channel structure having an inlet port and an outlet port. A passageway extends between the inlet and outlet ports for passing a liquid sample therethrough. The passageway has its inside walls lined with a layer of hydrophilic material. A biosensor is provided in the passageway to detect a biochemical compound contained in the liquid sample. Preferably, the hydrophilic material comprises a metal oxide having a photocatalytic characteristic, which is illuminated with ultraviolet rays.

Claims

1. A measuring apparatus comprising:

a channel structure having an inlet port, an outlet port and a passageway between said inlet and outlet ports for passing a liquid sample therethrough, said passageway having inside thereof lined with a layer of hydrophilic material, the hydrophilic material comprising a metal oxide having a photocatalytic characteristic;

means for illuminating the passageway with ultraviolet radiation; and

a biosensor in said passageway for detecting a biochemical compound contained in said liquid sample.

2. The measuring apparatus of claim 1, wherein said metal oxide comprises one of a group of titanium oxide, zinc oxide, strontium titanate, tungstic trioxide, ferrous oxide, bismuth trioxide and tin oxide.

3. The measuring apparatus of claim 1, wherein said channel structure comprises:

a first member having a channel extending between said inlet port and said outlet port, inside of said channel being lined with a layer of said metal oxide; and

a second member secured to said first member for enclosing said channel, said second member being coated with a layer of said metal oxide so that the metal oxide layer forms a ceiling portion of the enclosed channel.

4. The measuring apparatus of claim 3, wherein at least one of said first and second members is composed of a material that is transparent to said ultraviolet radiation for illuminating the layers of metal oxide of said first and second members.

5. The measuring apparatus of claim 3, wherein said first member is composed of silicon and said second member is composed of vitreous material transparent to said ultraviolet radiation.

6. The measuring apparatus of claim 3, wherein said first and second members comprise plastics material and are detachably coupled to each other.

7. The measuring apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a reference electrode and a counter electrode provided in said passageway.

8. The measuring apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an additional biosensor in said passageway for detecting a biochemical compound different from the biochemical compound detected by the first mentioned biosensor.

9. The measuring apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for detecting a flow rate of said liquid sample, comparing the detected flow rate with a reference value to detect a difference therebetween, and controlling the liquid sample according to said difference so that said biosensor produces an output signal which represents a concentration of said biochemical compound of the liquid sample in said passageway.

10. The measuring apparatus of claim 1, wherein said biosensor includes an immobilized enzyme.