Chemical and biological sensors, systems and methods based on radio frequency identification

• US 8,318,099 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2005
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (GE Vernova, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Potyrailo, Radislav Alexandrovich, Morris, William Guy, Welles, Kenneth Brakeley II, Leach, Andrew Michael, Pris, Andrew David
• Primary Examiner(s): WHITE, DENNIS MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US11/259,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20070090927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,589 Days
• Field of Search: 422/50, 422/58, 422/82.01, 422/82.05, 422/52, 422/73, 422/82.08, 422/82.09, 422/82.11, 422/99, 422/102, 422/407, 422/501, 422/502, 422/503, 422/504, 436/164, 436/177, 436/43, 436/63, 506/30, 435/29, 435/4, 435/6, 435/7.1, 250/214.1, 250/251, 250/576, 530/408, 714/752
• US Class Current: 422/82.02
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/3275 Sensing specific biomolecules, e.g. nucleic acid strands, based on an electrode surface reaction
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/3278 involving nanosized elements, e.g. nanogaps or nanoparticles nanopores G01N33/48721; magnetic beads G01N27/745
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0717 the sensor being capable of sensing environmental conditions such as temperature history or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/11 Automated chemical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25375 Liberation or purification of sample or separation of material from a sample [e.g., filtering, centrifuging, etc.]

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention include a wireless sensor, such as an RFID tag, that includes a substrate, an antenna disposed on the substrate, and an environmentally sensitive sensor material disposed over at least a portion of said substrate. Other embodiments an RFID tag and at least one antibody coupled to the RFID tag. The RFID tag includes a substrate, circuitry disposed on the substrate, and an antenna coupled to the substrate. The at least one antibody is capable of affecting the signals emanating from the RFID tag. Further embodiments include a detection system that includes a reader. Yet other embodiments include a method for detecting specific analytes. The method includes providing an RFID tag which emanates a first signal having a first frequency, and enabling the REID tag to emanate a second signal having a second frequency upon attraction of a specific analyte to the RFID tag.

Claims

1. A detection system utilizing at least one radiofrequency identification (RFID) tag, comprising:

an RFID tag comprising;

a substrate;

an antenna is disposed on said substrate;

a sensor material disposed adjacent to at least a portion of the antenna and the sensor material being selected to be sensitive to one of chemical or biological environment; and

a reader for receiving and processing signals from said RFID tag, wherein said reader is configured to measure a signal in the form of a complex impedance from said RFID tag wherein said signal comprises a plurality of frequency shifts and changes in magnitude of the and imaginary parts of the complex impedance to provide position independent responses from said RFID tag;

wherein said frequency shifts comprise a frequency shift of the maximum of the imaginary part of the complex impedance (F1 shift), a frequency shift of the minimum of the imaginary part of the complex impedance (F2 shift), a frequency shift of the maximum part of the complex impedance (Fp), and changes in magnitude of the real part of the complex impedance (Zp); and

,

wherein said complex impedance related to a nature and a concentration of analyte species is derived from multivariate analysis.

2. The detection system of claim 1, wherein said reader includes a multivariate pattern recognition subcomponent.

3. The detection system of claim 1, wherein the reader is configured to periodically read and quantify the signal from the RFID tag.

4. The detection system of claim 1, wherein the sensor material is sensitive to a biospecific entity.

5. A detection system insensitive to repositioning of the sensor reader in relation to the RF wireless sensor, comprising;

an RF wireless sensor;

a sensor reader configured to transmit RF energy to said RF wireless sensor, configured to receive and process signals from said RF wireless sensor, and configured to measure a plurality of frequency shifts and changes in magnitude corresponding to real and imaginary parts of the complex impedance of said RF wireless sensor at least three frequencies, wherein said frequency shifts comprise a frequency shift of the maximum of the imaginary part of the complex impedance (F1 shift), a frequency shift of the minimum of the imaginary art of the complex impedance (F2 shift), a frequency shift of the maximum part of the complex impedance (Fp); and

a multivariate signal processor that derives the concentration of species of interest from multivariate analysis of the measured and computed parameters of frequency shifts and changes in magnitude comprises a frequency shift of the maximum of the imaginary part of the complex impedance (F1 shift), a frequency shift of the minimum of the imaginary part of the complex impedance (F2 shift), a frequency shift of the maximum part of the complex impedance (Fp), and a magnitude of the real part of the complex impedance (Zp), and provides quantification of the species independent of the relative position of said sensor reader in relation to said RF wireless sensor.

6. The detection system of claim 5, wherein said sensor reader is configured to measure at least two parameters from which a signal, related to a nature and a concentration of analyte species, is derived.

7. The detection system of claim 6, wherein said signal is derived from multivariate analysis of the at least two parameters.

8. The detection system of claim 5, wherein said RF wireless sensor comprises:

a substrate;

an antenna disposed on said substrate; and

a sensor material sensitive to a biospecific or chemical entity disposed over at least a portion of said substrate.