Chip with measuring reliability and a method thereof

• US 7,374,721 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2003
• Issued: 05/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Transpacific IP Group Limited
• Inventors: Huang, Yin-Chun, Wang, Kuo-Jeng
• Primary Examiner(s): SINES, BRIAN J
• Application Number:
  US10/726,534
• Publication Number:
  US 20040124098A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,629 Days
• Field of Search: 422/50, 422/56, 422/68.1, 422/82.01, 422/82.02, 436/43, 436/91, 436/95, 600/300, 600/347, 600/365
• US Class Current: 422/82.02
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/3273 Devices therefor, e.g. test element readers, circuitry details not specific to biochemical electrodes G01N33/4875
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/11 Automated chemical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/14 Heterocyclic carbon compound [i.e. , O, S, N, Se, Te, as only ring hetero atom]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/144444 Glucose

Abstract

A chip with measuring reliability and a method thereof are provided. The present invention serially connects a resistor having a resistance equal to or a little more than a maximum resistance of the chip itself to the resistor R_s of the chip so as to compensate the resistance differences among chips. A noise to signal (N/S) ratio of the chip is decreased, and a measuring reliability of the chip is improved.

Claims

1. A biosensor measuring instrument, comprising:

a substrate having a first section and a second section, an operational electrode and a counterpart electrode spaced-apart from each other and formed on the first section, a first resistor connected with the operational electrode in series, and a first terminal and a second terminal formed on the second section;

wherein the operational electrode and the counterpart electrode constitute a second resistor R_s, and the resistance of the first resistor is equal to or greater than a maximum resistance of the second resistor R_s, the operational electrode and the counterpart electrode respectively electrically connected to the first terminal and the second terminal for detecting a response current passing through the operational electrode; and

a reaction layer at the first section of the substrate for at least partially covering the operational electrode and the counterpart electrode, wherein the response current is generated in response to a voltage applied to the operational electrode and a specific component of a specimen that reacts with the reaction layer.

2. The instrument of claim 1, wherein the operational electrode and the counterpart electrode are comprised of the same conductive material.

3. The instrument of claim 1, wherein the reaction layer comprises an enzyme type, and wherein the specific component of the specimen to be detected depends on the enzyme type of the reaction layer.

4. The instrument of claim 3, wherein the reaction layer is configured to react with a glucose concentration of a blood sample.

5. The instrument of claim 3, wherein the reaction layer is configured to react with a lactic acid concentration of saliva.

6. The instrument of claim 1, wherein the reaction layer includes a redox mediator, the redox mediator and specific component of the specimen applied on the chip proceeding an electrochemical reaction under catalysis of the enzyme.

7. The instrument of claim 1, further comprising a spacer over at least a portion of the reaction layer.

8. The instrument of claim 7, further comprising a cover over the spacer, the cover having an opening through which the specimen can be introduced.

9. A biosensor measuring instrument comprising:

a substrate having a first section and a second section;

a first lead terminal and a second lead terminal each formed on the second section of the substrate;

a counterpart terminal electrode formed on the first section of the substrate, the counterpart terminal electrode electrically connected to the second lead terminal;

an operational terminal electrode formed on the first section of the substrate, the operational terminal electrode electrically connected to the first lead terminal, wherein the operational terminal electrode and the counterpart terminal electrode constitute a first resistor having a first resistance;

a second resistor on the substrate, the second resistor having a second resistance substantially equal to or greater than the first resistance of the first resistor, wherein the second resistor is serially connected with the operational terminal electrode; and

a reaction layer covering the operational terminal electrode and counterpart terminal electrode, wherein the reaction layer is configured to react with a specimen to modify a response current passing through the operational terminal electrode.

10. The instrument of claim 9, wherein the second resistor includes a resistor electrically connected between the operational terminal electrode and the first lead terminal.

11. The instrument of claim 9, wherein the second resistor includes a widened portion of the counterpart terminal electrode and a widened portion of the operational terminal electrode.

12. The instrument of claim 9, wherein the second resistor includes a bent strip portion of the counterpart terminal electrode and a bent strip portion of the operational terminal electrode.

13. The instrument of claim 12, wherein the bent strip portion of the counterpart terminal electrode is substantially the same dimension as the bent strip portion of the operational terminal electrode.

14. A biosensor measuring instrument for determining the blood sugar level of a specimen, the instrument comprising:

a substrate having an operational terminal electrode and a counterpart terminal electrode respectively connected to first and second lead terminals;

a reaction layer including a redox mediator and an enzyme and covering the operational terminal electrode and counterpart terminal electrode, wherein a current passing through the operational terminal electrode is determined in part according to a reaction of the reaction layer with a specimen;

a spacer disposed over the reaction layer, and a cover disposed over the spacer, wherein the operational terminal electrode and the counterpart terminal electrode constitute a first resistor having a first resistance; and

a second resistor serially connected with the operational terminal electrode, the second resistor having a second resistance substantially equal to or greater than the first resistance of the first resistor.

15. The instrument of claim 14, wherein the second resistor includes a resistor electrically connected between the operational terminal electrode and the first lead terminal.

16. The instrument of claim 14, wherein the second resistor includes a widened portion of the counterpart terminal electrode and a widened portion of the operational terminal electrode.

17. The instrument of claim 14, wherein the second resistor includes a bent strip portion of the counterpart terminal electrode and a bent strip portion of the operational terminal electrode.

18. The instrument of claim 17, wherein the bent strip portion of the counterpart terminal electrode is substantially the same dimension as the bent strip portion of the operational terminal electrode.

21. The biosensor measuring instrument of claim 14, wherein the second resistor is serially connected between the first resistor and the lead terminal.

19. A biosensor measuring instrument comprising:

a substrate having a first section and a second section;

a first lead terminal and a second lead terminal each formed on the second section of the substrate;

a reactive means covering the first section of the substrate, wherein a response current passing between the first and second lead terminals is determined in part according to a reactive state of the reactive means;

a first resistive means on the first section of the substrate for providing a first resistance between the first and second lead terminal; and

a second resistive means on the substrate for providing a second resistance substantially equal to or greater than the first resistance of the first resistor, wherein the second resistive means is serially connected with the first resistive means.

20. The biosensor measuring instrument of claim 19, wherein the reactive state of the reactive means varies according to a specimen being measured.