Highly selective chemical and biological sensors

• US 8,542,023 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2010
• Issued: 09/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (GE Vernova, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Potyrailo, Radislav Alexandrovich, Surman, Cheryl Margaret, Nagraj, Nandini, Burns, Andrew Arthur Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Vincent Q
• Application Number:
  US12/942,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20120116683A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 324/652, 324/670, 324/71.1
• US Class Current: 324/652
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/02 by investigating impedance
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/026 Dielectric impedance spectroscopy electrochemical impedance spectroscopy for measuring corrosion G01N17/02
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/483 Physical analysis of biological material
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48792 Data management, e.g. communication with processing unit for in vivo diagnostics A61B5/0002; transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

Methods and sensors for selective fluid sensing are provided. Each sensor includes a resonant inductor-capacitor-resistor (LCR) sensor that is coated with a sensing material. In order to collect data, an impedance spectrum is acquired over a relatively narrow frequency range, such as the resonant frequency range of the LCR circuit. A multivariate signature may be calculated from the acquired spectrum to discern the presence of certain fluids and/or fluid mixtures. The presence of fluids is detected by measuring the changes in dielectric, dimensional, resistance, charge transfer, and other changes in the properties of the materials employed by observing the changes in the resonant electronic properties of the circuit. By using a mathematical procedure, such as principal components analysis (PCA) and others, multiple fluids and mixtures can be detected in the presence of one another, even in a high humidity environment or an environment wherein one or more fluids has a substantially higher concentration (e.g. 10×, 1,000,000×) compared to other components in the mixture.

Claims

1. A sensor, comprising:

a single resonant inductor-capacitor-resistor (LCR) circuit; and

a sensing material disposed over at least a portion of the single LCR circuit, wherein the sensing material is configured to allow selective detection of at least six different analyte fluids from an analyzed fluid mixture.

2. The sensor, as set forth in claim 1, comprising a memory chip.

3. The sensor, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises an RFID sensor.

4. The sensor, as set forth in claim 1, comprising a coil.

5. The sensor, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sensing material is disposed between electrodes of the single LCR circuit.

6. The sensor, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sensing material comprises a dielectric polymer.

7. The sensor, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sensing material comprises synthetic dielectric polymers, synthetic conducting polymers, polymer formulations, biomolecules, cavitands, monolayer-protected metal nanoparticles, metal nanoparticle cores with organic ligand shells, porphyrins, phthalocyanines, and their combinations.

8. The sensor, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sensing material comprises composite sensing material comprising a plurality of individual sensing materials that are homogeneously or inhomogeneously mixed or locally patterned over specific portions of the single LCR circuit resonator such that each of the plurality of individual sensing materials is arranged to respond to analytes by predominantly different response mechanisms.

9. The sensor, as set forth in claim 8, wherein the composite sensing material phase-separate due to hydrophylic/hydrophobic interactions, mutual immiscibility, or formed as sectors of individual materials deposited adjacent to each other onto a single sensor, or as formed as layers of individual materials deposited on top of each other onto a single sensor.

10. The sensor, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to sense a first fluid in the analyzed fluid in the presence of a second fluid in the analyzed fluid, wherein a concentration of the second fluid is at least ten times greater than a concentration of the first fluid.

11. The sensor, as set forth in claim 10, wherein the second fluid is water vapor.

12. The sensor, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to sense a first fluid in the analyzed fluid in the presence of a second fluid in the analyzed fluid, wherein a concentration of the second fluid is at least 1 million times greater than a concentration of the first fluid.

13. The sensor, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured as a single-use sensor.

14. The sensor, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sensor is a wireless sensor.

15. The sensor, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured as a single-use sensor.

16. The sensor, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sensor is a wireless sensor.

17. A sensor, comprising:

a resonant inductor-capacitor-resistor (LCR) circuit; and

a sensing material disposed over at least a portion of the LCR circuit, wherein the sensing material is configured to allow selective detection of at least six different analyte fluids from an analyzed fluid mixture, wherein the sensing material comprises composite sensing material comprising a plurality of individual sensing materials that are homogeneously or inhomogeneously mixed or locally patterned over specific portions of the LCR circuit such that each of the plurality of individual sensing materials is arranged to respond to analytes by predominantly different response mechanisms, and wherein the composite sensing material phase-separate due to hydrophylic/hydrophobic interactions, mutual immiscibility, or formed as sectors of individual materials deposited adjacent to each other onto a single sensor, or as formed as layers of individual materials deposited on top of each other onto a single sensor.

18. The sensor, as set forth in claim 17, wherein the LCR circuit comprises a single LCR circuit.

19. The sensor, as set forth in claim 17, wherein the sensor is configured to sense a first fluid in the analyzed fluid in the presence of a second fluid in the analyzed fluid, and wherein a concentration of the second fluid is at least 1 million times greater than a concentration of the first fluid.

20. The sensor, as set forth in claim 17, comprising a memory chip.

21. The sensor, as set forth in claim 17, wherein the sensor comprises an RFID sensor.

22. The sensor, as set forth in claim 17, comprising a coil.

23. The sensor, as set forth in claim 17, wherein the sensing material is disposed between electrodes of the LCR circuit.

24. The sensor, as set forth in claim 17, wherein the sensing material comprises a dielectric polymer.

25. The sensor, as set forth in claim 17, wherein the sensing material comprises synthetic dielectric polymers, synthetic conducting polymers, polymer formulations, biomolecules, cavitands, monolayer-protected metal nanoparticles, metal nanoparticle cores with organic ligand shells, porphyrins, phthalocyanines, and their combinations.

26. The sensor, as set forth in claim 17, wherein the sensor is configured to sense a first fluid in the analyzed fluid in the presence of a second fluid in the analyzed fluid, wherein a concentration of the second fluid is at least ten times greater than a concentration of the first fluid.

27. The sensor, as set forth in claim 26, wherein the second fluid is water vapor.

28. The sensor, as set forth in claim 17, wherein the sensor is configured as a single-use sensor.

29. The sensor, as set forth in claim 17, wherein the sensor is a wireless sensor.

30. A sensor, comprising:

a resonant inductor-capacitor-resistor (LCR) circuit; and

a sensing material disposed over at least a portion of the LCR circuit, wherein the sensing material is configured to allow selective detection of at least six different analyte fluids from an analyzed fluid mixture, wherein the sensor is configured to sense a first fluid in the analyzed fluid in the presence of a second fluid in the analyzed fluid, and wherein a concentration of the second fluid is at least 1 million times greater than a concentration of the first fluid.

31. The sensor, as set forth in claim 30, wherein the LCR circuit comprises a single LCR circuit.

32. The sensor, as set forth in claim 30, wherein the sensing material comprises composite sensing material comprising a plurality of individual sensing materials that are homogeneously or inhomogeneously mixed or locally patterned over specific portions of the LCR circuit such that each of the plurality of individual sensing materials is arranged to respond to analytes by predominantly different response mechanisms.

33. The sensor, as set forth in claim 32, wherein the composite sensing material phase-separate due to hydrophylic/hydrophobic interactions, mutual immiscibility, or formed as sectors of individual materials deposited adjacent to each other onto a single sensor, or as formed as layers of individual materials deposited on top of each other onto a single sensor.

34. The sensor, as set forth in claim 30, comprising a memory chip.

35. The sensor, as set forth in claim 30, wherein the sensor comprises an RFID sensor.

36. The sensor, as set forth in claim 30, comprising a coil.

37. The sensor, as set forth in claim 30, wherein the sensing material is disposed between electrodes of the LCR circuit.

38. The sensor, as set forth in claim 30, wherein the sensing material comprises a dielectric polymer.

39. The sensor, as set forth in claim 30, wherein the sensing material comprises synthetic dielectric polymers, synthetic conducting polymers, polymer formulations, biomolecules, cavitands, monolayer-protected metal nanoparticles, metal nanoparticle cores with organic ligand shells, porphyrins, phthalocyanines, and their combinations.

40. The sensor, as set forth in claim 30, wherein the second fluid is water vapor.