Biosensor for monitoring an analyte content with a partial voltage generated therefrom

• US 7,347,925 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2003
• Issued: 03/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Transpacific IP Group Limited
• Inventors: Hsieh, Jun-Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): Noguerola; Alex
• Application Number:
  US10/609,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20050000806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,729 Days
• Field of Search: 20440301-40315, 204/406, 204416-419, 205/777.5, 205/778, 205/792
• US Class Current: 205/777.5
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48785 Electrical and electronic details of measuring devices for physical analysis of liquid biological material not specific to a particular test method, e.g. user interface or power supply

Abstract

A biosensor for monitoring an analyte content with a partial voltage generated therefrom is provided. The present biosensor includes a chip having a resistance R_s, a power source, and a microprocessor. The power source is used for supplying an applied voltage on the chip. The chip generates a time-dependent response current in response to a content of an analyte of a specimen applied thereon upon supplying the applied voltage on the chip. The microprocessor receives a time-dependent partial voltage caused from the chip due to the time-dependent response current, and determines the content of the analyte in accordance with the time-dependent partial voltage. The present biosensor is provided with fewer elements than a conventional one. A purpose of cost down is thus obtained.

Claims

1. A biosensor capable of monitoring a content of an analyte with a partial voltage generated therefrom, the biosensor comprising:

a chip capable of generating a time-dependent response current in response to a content of an analyte of a specimen applied thereon upon supplying an applied voltage on the chip;

a power source capable of supplying the applied voltage on the chip; and

a microprocessor capable of;

receiving a time-dependent partial voltage from the chip due to the time-dependent response current;

accessing a mapping table responsive to the time-dependent partial voltage; and

determining the content of the analyte from the mapping table.

2. The biosensor of claim 1, further comprising an analog to digital converter capable of converting the time-dependent partial voltage to a digital form.

3. The biosensor of claim 2, further comprising a resistor with one end thereof serially connected to the chip and the other end thereof connected to a ground.

4. The biosensor of claim 3, where the resistor comprises a variable resistor.

5. The biosensor of claim 3,

where the mapping table further comprises a mapping table of rising time versus content of the analyte;

where a rising time is obtainable from the time-dependent partial voltage; and

where the content of the analyte is determinable with the rising time.

6. The biosensor of claim 3,

where the mapping table further comprises a table of peak voltage versus content of the analyte;

where a peak voltage is obtainable from the time-dependent partial voltage; and

where the content of the analyte is determinable from the peak voltage.

7. The biosensor of claim 3,

where the mapping table further comprises a table of rising time versus prescribed curve of the analyte;

where a rising time is obtainable from the time-dependent partial voltage; and

where the content of the analyte is determinable from the rising time of a corresponding prescribed curve.

8. The biosensor of claim 3,

where the mapping table further comprises a table of peak voltage versus prescribed curve of the analyte;

where a peak voltage is obtainable from the time-dependent partial voltage; and

where the content of the analyte is determinable from the prescribed curve of the analyte.

9. The biosensor of claim 3, where the analyte to be monitored depends on an enzyme of the chip.

10. The biosensor of claim 1, further comprising a resistor with one end thereof serially connected to the chip and the other end thereof connected to a ground.

11. The biosensor of claim 10, where the resistor comprises a variable resistor.

12. The biosensor of claim 10,

where the mapping table further comprises a table of rising time versus content of the analyte;

where a rising time is obtainable from the time-dependent partial voltage; and

where the content of the analyte is determinable from the rising time.

13. The biosensor of claim 10,

where the mapping table further comprises a table of peak voltage versus content of the analyte;

and

where a peak voltage is obtainable from the time-dependent partial voltage; and

where the content of the analyte is determinable from the peak voltage.

14. The biosensor of claim 10,

where the mapping table further comprises a table of rising time versus prescribed curve of the analyte;

where a rising time is obtainable from the time-dependent partial voltage; and

where the content of the analyte is determinable from the rising time of a corresponding prescribed curve of the analyte.

15. The biosensor of claim 10,

where the mapping table further comprises a table of peak voltage versus prescribed curve of the analyte;

where a peak voltage is obtainable from the time-dependent partial voltage; and

where the content of the analyte is determinable from the prescribed curve of the analyte.

16. The biosensor of claim 1,

where the mapping table further comprises a table of rising time versus content of the analyte;

and

where a rising time is obtainable from the time-dependent partial voltage; and

where the content of the analyte is determinable from the rising time.

17. The biosensor of claim 1,

where the mapping table further comprises a table of peak voltage versus content of the analyte;

and

where a peak voltage is obtainable from the time-dependent partial voltage; and

where the content of the analyte is determinable from the peak voltage.

18. The biosensor of claim 1,

where the mapping table further comprises a table of rising time versus prescribed curve of the analyte;

where a rising time is obtainable from the time-dependent partial voltage; and

where the content of the analyte is determinable from the rising time.

19. The biosensor of claim 1,

where the mapping table further comprises a table of peak voltage versus prescribed curve of the analyte;

where a peak voltage is obtainable from the time-dependent partial voltage; and

where the content of the analyte is determinable from the prescribed curve.

20. The biosensor of claim 1, where the analyte to be monitored depends on an enzyme of the chip.

21. A method comprising:

generating a time-dependent partial voltage across a variable resistor in response to a content of an analyte of a specimen;

accessing at least one of a plurality of mapping tables responsive to the variable resistor and to the time-dependent partial voltage; and

employing the at least one of a plurality of mapping tables to determine the content of the analyte.

22. The method of claim 21, where employing the at least one of a plurality of mapping tables further comprises:

obtaining a rising time from the time-dependent partial voltage; and

determining the content of the analyte from the rising time.

23. The method of claim 21, where employing the at least one of a plurality of mapping tables further comprises:

obtaining a peak voltage from the time-dependent partial voltage; and

determining the content of the analyte from the peak voltage.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

mapping a rising time versus prescribed curve of the analyte prior to the employing the at least one of a plurality of mapping tables.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

mapping a peak voltage versus prescribed curve of the analyte prior to the employing the at least one of a plurality of mapping tables.

26. A sensor capable of monitoring a content of an analyte based on a partial voltage generated therefrom, comprising:

circuitry capable of generating a time-dependent partial voltage in response to the content of the analyte; and

a microprocessor capable of;

receiving the time-dependent partial voltage from the circuitry; and

determining the content of the analyte in accordance with;

(1) the time-dependent partial voltage; and

(2) a mapping table relating the time-dependent partial voltage to the content of the analyte.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, where the mapping table comprises a table of rising time versus the content of the analyte.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, where the mapping table comprises a table of peak voltage versus content of the analyte.

29. A biosensor capable of monitoring an analyte content if connected to a power source, the biosensor comprising:

a chip having applied thereon an analyte, the power source inducing a response current in the analyte based on a content of the analyte;

a microprocessor capable of;

receiving a time-dependent partial voltage resulting from the response current;

accessing at least one mapping table responsive to the receiving; and

determining the content of the analyte in accordance with the at least one mapping table.

30. The biosensor of claim 29,

where the at least one mapping table further comprises a table of rising time versus content of the analyte;

where a rising time is obtainable from the time-dependent partial voltage; and

where the content of the analyte is determinable from the at least one mapping table.

31. The biosensor of claim 29, where the microprocessor further comprises an analog to digital converter capable of converting the time-dependent partial voltage to a digital form.

32. A sensor comprising:

circuitry capable of generating a time-dependent partial voltage in response to the content of an analyte, the circuitry including a variable resistor; and

a microprocessor capable of;

receiving the time-dependent partial voltage from the circuitry due to the time-dependent partial voltage; and

determining the content of the analyte in accordance with;

(1) the time-dependent partial voltage; and

(2) one of a plurality of mapping tables corresponding to a particular resistance of the variable resistor and capable of relating the time-dependent partial voltage to the content of the analyte.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, where the mapping table comprises a table of rising time versus the content of the analyte.

34. The apparatus of claim 32, where the mapping table comprises a table of peak voltage versus content of the analyte.

35. A biosensor comprising:

means for supplying a source voltage to the biosensor, the voltage source being configured to induce a time-dependent current in the biosensor responsive to a content of an analyte;

means for measuring a time-dependent partial voltage across a resistor responsive to the time-dependent current, the resistor being coupled at a first terminal to the biosensor and being coupled at a second terminal to ground; and

means for determining the content of the analyte responsive to the time-dependent partial voltage.

36. The biosensor of claim 35 comprising

means for accessing at least one of a plurality of mapping tables responsive to the time-dependent partial voltage;

where the means for determining the content of the analyte occurs responsive to the means for accessing the at least one of the plurality of mapping tables.

37. The biosensor of claim 35 where the means for determining the content of the analyte includes:

means for measuring a rising time from the time-dependent partial voltage; and

means for determining the content of the analyte responsive to the means for measuring the rising time.

38. The biosensor of claim 35 where the means for determining the content of the analyte includes:

means for measuring a peak voltage from the time-dependent partial voltage; and

means for determining the content of the analyte from the peak voltage.

39. The biosensor of claim 35 where the means for determining the content of the analyte includes:

means for mapping a rising time versus prescribed curve of the analyte; and

means for determining the content of the analyte from the prescribed curve of the analyte.

40. The biosensor of claim 35 where the means for determining the content of the analyte includes:

means for mapping a peak voltage versus prescribed curve of the analyte; and

means for determining the content of the analyte from the prescribed curve of the analyte.