Conductive organic sensors, arrays and methods of use
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A sensor, comprising:
- at least two conductive leads;
a sensing area comprising alternating regions of a doped or undoped conductive organic polymer material and an inorganic conductive material or carbon black disposed between, and in contact with, the at least two conductive leads, wherein the regions of inorganic conductive material or carbon black are separated by about 10-1000 angstroms, wherein the sensing area provides an electrical path through the regions of the conductive organic polymer material and the inorganic conductive material or carbon black, and wherein the sensing area is in direct contact with a vapor comprising an analyte to be detected, wherein the inorganic conductive material is selected from the group consisting of an inorganic conductor, and a mixed inorganic/organic conductor, wherein the inorganic conductor is a metal, a metal alloy, a metal oxide, a superconductor, or a combination thereof and wherein the inorganic conductor has an electrical conductivity that decreases as the temperature increase; and
an apparatus in electrical communication with the conductive leads for detecting a change in the sensing area between the at least two conductive leads when contacted with an analyte.
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Abstract
The present invention provides a class of sensors prepared from regions of conducting organic materials and conducting materials that show an increase sensitivity detection limit for amines. The present class of sensors have applications in the detection of spoiled food products and in testing for diseases, such as cholera and lung cancer, which have amines as biomarkers.
115 Citations
52 Claims
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1. A sensor, comprising:
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at least two conductive leads; a sensing area comprising alternating regions of a doped or undoped conductive organic polymer material and an inorganic conductive material or carbon black disposed between, and in contact with, the at least two conductive leads, wherein the regions of inorganic conductive material or carbon black are separated by about 10-1000 angstroms, wherein the sensing area provides an electrical path through the regions of the conductive organic polymer material and the inorganic conductive material or carbon black, and wherein the sensing area is in direct contact with a vapor comprising an analyte to be detected, wherein the inorganic conductive material is selected from the group consisting of an inorganic conductor, and a mixed inorganic/organic conductor, wherein the inorganic conductor is a metal, a metal alloy, a metal oxide, a superconductor, or a combination thereof and wherein the inorganic conductor has an electrical conductivity that decreases as the temperature increase; and an apparatus in electrical communication with the conductive leads for detecting a change in the sensing area between the at least two conductive leads when contacted with an analyte. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A sensor, comprising:
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at least two conductive leads; a sensing area comprising alternating interpenetrating regions of a doped or undoped conductive organic polymer material and an inorganic conductive material or carbon black disposed between and in contact with the at least two conductive leads, wherein the regions of inorganic conductive organic material or carbon black are separated by about 10-1000 angstroms, wherein the sensing area provides an electrical path through the regions of the conductive organic polymer material and the regions of the inorganic conductive material or carbon black, and wherein the sensing area is in direct contact with a vapor comprising an analyte to be detected, wherein the inorganic conductive material is selected form the group consisting of an inorganic conductor and a mixed inorganic/organic conductor, wherein the inorganic conductor is a metal, a metal alloy, a metal oxide, or a superconductor, or a combination thereof and wherein the inorganic conductor has an electrical conductivity that decreases as the temperature increases; and an apparatus in electrical communication with the conductive leads for detecting a change in the sensing area between the at least two conductive leads when contacted with an analyte.
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7. A sensor, comprising:
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at least two conductive leads; a sensing area comprising dispersed regions of a doped or undoped conductive organic polymer material and an inorganic conductive material or carbon black wherein the dispersed regions provide interpenetrating regions of the conductive organic polymer material and an inorganic conductive material or carbon black, wherein the regions of inorganic conductive material or carbon black are separated by about 10-1000 angstroms, the sensing area disposed between and in contact with the at least two conductive leads, wherein the sensing area provides an electrical path through the regions of the conductive organic polymer material and the regions of the inorganic conductive material or carbon black, and wherein the sensing area is in direct contact with a vapor comprising an analyte to be detected, wherein the inorganic conductive material is selected from the group consisting of an organic conductor, an organic complex, an inorganic conductor and a mixed inorganic/organic conductor, wherein the inorganic conductor is a metal, a metal alloy, a metal oxide, or a superconductor, or a combination thereof and wherein the inorganic conductor has an electrical conductivity that decreases as the temperature increases; and an apparatus in electrical communication with the conductive leads for detecting a change in the sensing area between the at least two conductive leads when contacted with an analyte.
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8. A sensor, comprising:
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at least two conductive leads; a sensing area comprising alternating interpenetrating regions of a doped or undoped polyaniline or an emeraldine salt of polyaniline and an inorganic conductive material disposed between, and in contact with, the at least two conductive leads, wherein the regions of the inorganic conductive material or carbon black are separated by about 10-1000 angstroms, wherein the sensing area provides an electrical path through the alternating interpenetrating regions of polyaniline or emeraldine salt of polyaniline and the inorganic conductive material; and an apparatus in electrical communication with the conductive leads for detecting a change in the sensing area between the at least two conductive leads when contacted with an analyte. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. A sensor array comprising:
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a plurality of sensors, wherein at least one sensor comprises; at least two conductive leads; a sensing area comprising alternating interpenetrating regions of a doped or undoped conductive organic polymer material and an inorganic conductive material or carbon black disposed between an in contact with the at least two conductive leads, wherein the regions of inorganic conductive material or carbon black are separated by about 10-1000 angstroms, wherein the sensing area provides an electrical path through the alternating interpenetrating regions of the conductive organic polymer material and the regions of the inorganic conductive material or carbon black, wherein the sensing area is in direct contact with a vapor comprising an analyte to be detected, wherein the inorganic conductive material is selected from the group consisting of an an inorganic conductor and a mixed inorganic/organic conductor, wherein the inorganic conductor is a metal, a metal alloy, a metal oxide, or a superconductor, or a combination thereof and wherein the inorganic conductor has an electrical conductivity that decreases as the temperature increases. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 34, 35)
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22. A sensor array comprising:
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a plurality of sensors, wherein at least one sensor comprises; at least two conductive leads; a sensing area comprising alternating interpenetrating regions of a doped or undoped conductive organic polymer material and an inorganic conductive material or carbon black disposed between, and in contact with, the at least two conductive leads, wherein the regions of inorganic conductive material or carbon black are separated by about 10-1000 angstroms, wherein the sensing area provides an electrical path through the regions of the conductive organic polymer material and the regions of the inorganic conductive material or carbon black, wherein the sensing area is in direct contact with a vapor comprising an analyte to bet detected, wherein the inorganic conductive material is selected form the group consisting of an inorganic conductor, and a mixed inorganic/organic conductor, wherein the inorganic conductor is a metal a metal alloy, a metal oxide, a superconductor, or a combination thereof, wherein the inorganic conductor has an electrical conductivity that decreases as the temperature increases; and a measuring apparatus electrically coupled to the at least two conductive leads for detecting a change in the sensing area when contacted with an analyte.
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23. A sensor array comprising:
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a plurality of sensor wherein at least one sensor comprise alternating interpenetrating regions of a doped or undoped conductive organic polymer material and regions of an inorganic conductive material or carbon black wherein the sensors are in direct contact with a vapor comprising an analyte to be detected, wherein the regions of inorganic conductive material or carbon black are separated by about 10-1000 angstroms, wherein the inorganic conductive material is selected form the group consisting of an inorganic conductor, and a mixed inorganic/organic conductor, wherein the inorganic conductor is a metal a metal alloy, a metal oxide, a superconductor, or a combination thereof, wherein the inorganic conductor has an electrical conductivity that decreases as the temperature increases; and means, electrically coupled to the plurality of sensors, for detecting a change in the plurality of sensors when contacted with an analyte.
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24. A sensor array system comprising:
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a plurality of sensors, wherein at least one sensor comprises; at least two conductive leads; a sensing area comprising alternating interpenetrating regions of a doped or undoped conductive organic polymer material and an inorganic conductive material or carbon black disposed between and in contact with the at least two conductive leads, wherein the regions of inorganic conductive material or carbon black are separated by about 10-1000 angstroms, wherein the sensing area provides an electrical path through the regions of the conductive organic polymer material and the regions of the inorganic conductive material or carbon black, wherein the sensing area is in direct contact with a vapor comprising an analyte to be detected, wherein the inorganic conductive material is selected from the group consisting of an inorganic conductor and a mixed inorganic/organic conductor, wherein the inorganic conductor is a metal, a metal alloy, a metal oxide, or a superconductor or a combination thereof and wherein the inorganic conductor has an electrical conductivity that decreases as the temperature increases; a measuring apparatus that detects a change in the electrical properties of the at least one sensor, wherein at least one sensor is in communication with the measuring apparatus; and a computer comprising a resident algorithm, wherein the computer processes the change in the electrical properties. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A system for identifying a microorganism, the system comprising:
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a measuring apparatus; a sensor array comprising a plurality of sensors in communication with the measuring apparatus, wherein at least one sensor comprises; at least two conductive leads; a sensing area comprising alternating regions of a doped or undoped conductive organic polymer material and an inorganic conductive material or carbon black disposed between and in electrical communication with the at least two conductive leads, wherein the regions of inorganic conductive material or carbon black are separated by about 10-1000 angstroms, wherein the inorganic conductive material is selected form the group consisting of an inorganic conductor, and a mixed inorganic/organic conductor, wherein the inorganic conductor is a metal a metal alloy, a metal oxide, a superconductor, or a combination thereof, wherein the inorganic conductor has an electrical conductivity that decreases as the temperature increases, wherein the sensing area provides an electrical path through the regions of the conductive organic polymer material and the regions of the inorganic conductive material or carbon black, and wherein the sensing are is in direct contact with a vapor comprising a biomarker to be detected; and a computer comprising a resident algorithm; wherein the measuring apparatus is capable of detecting a response from each sensor in the array wherein the response are indicative of the presence of a biomarker of a microorganism and the computer is capable of assembling the responses into a response profile whereby the computer associates the response profile indicative of the biomarker with a microorganism for microorganism identification. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45)
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46. A system for detecting an analyte in a sample, comprising:
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a substrate having a plurality of sensors wherein at least one sensor comprises; at least two conductive leads; a sensing area comprising alternating interpenetrating regions of a doped or undoped conductive organic polymer material and an inorganic conductive material or carbon black disposed between, and in contact with, the at least two conductive leads, wherein the regions of inorganic conductive material or carbon black are separated by about 10-1000 angstroms, wherein the sensing area provides an electrical path through the regions of the conductive organic polymer material and the regions of the inorganic conductive material or carbon black such that the at least one sensor provides a response that varies according to the presence of an analyte in contact with it, wherein the sensing area is in direct contact with a vapor comprising an analyte to be detected, wherein the inorganic conductive material is selected form the group consisting of an inorganic conductor and a mixed inorganic/organic conductor, wherein the inorganic conductor is a metal, a metal alloy, a metal oxide, or a superconductor, or a combination thereof and wherein the inorganic conductor has an electrical conductivity that decreases as the temperature increases; a detector operatively associated with the plurality of sensors, for measuring the response of the plurality of sensor when contacted with the sample; a sample delivery unit for delivering the sample to be tested to the plurality of sensors; and an information storage and processing device configured to store an ideal response for a predetermined analyte and to compare the response of the plurality of sensor with the stored ideal response, to detect the presence of the analyte in the sample. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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Specification