Biosensor, biosensor chip and biosensor device

• US 8,900,430 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2013
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: PHC Holdings Corporation
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Healthcare Holdings Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ueno, Hiroya, Nakatsuka, Junji
• Primary Examiner(s): Noguerola, Alex
• Application Number:
  US13/934,766
• Publication Number:
  US 20140008216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 517 Days
• Field of Search: 20440301-40315, 205/777.5, 205/778, 205/792
• US Class Current: 204/403.01
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/001 Enzyme electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/30 Electrodes, e.g. test electrodes; Half-cells G01N27/414 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/307 Disposable laminated or multilayered electrodes G01N27/3272 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/327 Biochemical electrodes , e.g. electrical or mechanical details for in vitro measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/3271 Amperometric enzyme electrodes for analytes in body fluids, e.g. glucose in blood amperometry per se G01N27/49; aspects concerning the enzyme reagent C12Q1/001
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/3272 Test elements therefor, i.e. disposable laminated substrates with electrodes, reagent and channels optical biosensors G01N33/52
• 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: G01N 27/416 Systems G01N27/27 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/0092 measuring current only all subgroups of G01R19/00 take precedence

Abstract

A biosensor includes a working electrode 101, a counter electrode 102 opposing the working electrode 101, a working electrode terminal 103 and a working electrode reference terminal 10 connected to the working electrode 101 by wires, and a counter electrode terminal 104 connected to the counter electrode 102 by a wire. By employing a structure with at least three electrodes, it is possible to assay a target substance without being influenced by the line resistance on the working electrode side.

Claims

1. A biosensor device, comprising:

a biosensor, comprising;

a working electrode;

a counter electrode;

a working electrode terminal;

a counter electrode terminal;

a first reference terminal;

a second reference terminal;

the working electrode connected to the working electrode terminal and to the first reference terminal; and

the counter electrode connected to the counter electrode terminal and to the second reference terminal; and

a measurement circuit connected to the biosensor for performing an assay of a fluid to determine the concentration of a substance in the fluid,

wherein the measurement circuit is adapted to apply and maintain a predetermined voltage between the working electrode and the counter electrode irrespective of variations in the line resistance between the working electrode and the working electrode terminal and variations in the line resistance between the counter electrode and the counter electrode terminal.

2. The biosensor device of claim 1, wherein a biological substance or a micro-organism that changes a state of a substance contained in a fluid to be assayed is placed on at least one of the working electrode and the counter electrode.

3. The biosensor device of claim 1, wherein the biosensor is formed with at least two layers and the working electrode terminal and the counter electrode terminal are located on different layers.

4. The biosensor device of claim 1, wherein the counter electrode is generally U shaped with a base and two fingers extending from the base, and the working electrode is located between the two fingers.

5. The biosensor device of claim 1, wherein the working electrode has a generally-circular shape, and a portion of an inner periphery of the counter electrode is circular with a substantially constant distance from the working electrode.

6. The biosensor device of claim 1, wherein the working electrode comprises a plurality of working electrodes.

7. The biosensor device of claim 1, wherein the counter electrode comprises a plurality of counter electrodes.

8. The biosensor device of claim 1, wherein the biosensor is disposable.

9. The biosensor device of claim 1, wherein the counter electrode comprises a plurality of fingers.

10. The biosensor device of claim 1, wherein the counter electrode comprises a plurality of fingers and the working electrode is disposed between the fingers of the counter electrode.

11. The biosensor device of claim 1, wherein the working electrode and the counter electrode are disposed at one end of the biosensor and the working electrode terminal, the counter electrode terminal, the first reference terminal, and the second reference terminal are disposed at an opposite end of the biosensor.

12. The biosensor device of claim 1, wherein:

the measurement circuit applies a voltage to the working electrode terminal during the assay; and

a voltage at the working electrode is not equal to the voltage at the working electrode terminal.

13. The biosensor device of claim 1, wherein:

the measurement circuit applies a voltage to the counter electrode terminal during the assay; and

a voltage at the counter electrode is not equal to the voltage at the counter electrode terminal.

14. The biosensor device of claim 1, wherein:

the measurement circuit applies a voltage to the working electrode terminal during the assay; and

a voltage at the first reference terminal is substantially equal to a voltage at the working electrode.

15. The biosensor device of claim 1, wherein:

the measurement circuit applies a voltage to the counter electrode terminal during the assay; and

a voltage at the second reference terminal is substantially equal to a voltage at the counter electrode.

16. The biosensor device of claim 1, wherein:

the measurement circuit applies a voltage to the working electrode terminal and a voltage to the counter electrode terminal during the assay;

a voltage at the first reference terminal is substantially equal to a voltage at the working electrode during the assay; and

a voltage at the second reference terminal is substantially equal to a voltage at the counter electrode during the assay.

17. The biosensor device of claim 1, wherein:

the measurement circuit applies a voltage to the working electrode terminal and a voltage to the counter electrode terminal during the assay; and

a current flowing between the working electrode and the working electrode terminal is substantially equal to a current flowing between the counter electrode and the counter electrode terminal.

18. The biosensor device of claim 1, wherein:

the connection between the working electrode and the working electrode terminal exhibits resistive properties;

the measurement circuit applies a voltage to the working electrode terminal and a voltage to the counter electrode terminal during the assay; and

a voltage difference between the working electrode and the working electrode terminal is a function of the resistive properties of the connection between the working electrode and the working electrode terminal.

19. The biosensor device of claim 1, wherein:

the connection between the counter electrode and the counter electrode terminal exhibits resistive properties;

the measurement circuit applies a voltage to the working electrode terminal and a voltage to the counter electrode terminal during the assay; and

a voltage difference between the counter electrode and the counter electrode terminal is a function of the resistive properties of the connection between the counter electrode and the counter electrode terminal.

20. A biosensor device, comprising:

a biosensor, comprising;

a working electrode;

a counter electrode;

a working electrode terminal;

a counter electrode terminal;

a first reference terminal;

a second reference terminal;

a first line connecting the working electrode to the working electrode terminal;

a second line connecting the working electrode to the first reference terminal;

a third line connecting the counter electrode to the counter electrode terminal; and

a fourth line connecting the counter electrode and to the second reference terminal; and

a measurement circuit connected to the biosensor for performing an assay of a fluid to determine the concentration of a substance in the fluid;

wherein the measurement circuit is adapted to apply and maintain a predetermined voltage between the working electrode and the counter electrode irrespective of variations in the line resistances of the first line and the third line.

21. The biosensor device of claim 20, wherein a biological substance or a micro-organism that changes a state of a substance contained in a fluid to be assayed is placed on at least one of the working electrode and the counter electrode.

22. The biosensor device of claim 20, wherein the biosensor is formed with at least two layers and the working electrode terminal and the counter electrode terminal are located on different layers.

23. The biosensor device of claim 20, wherein the counter electrode is generally U shaped with a base and two fingers extending from the base, and the working electrode is located between the two fingers.

24. The biosensor device of claim 20, wherein the working electrode has a generally-circular shape, and a portion of an inner periphery of the counter electrode is circular with a substantially constant distance from the working electrode.

25. The biosensor device of claim 20, wherein the working electrode comprises a plurality of working electrodes.

26. The biosensor device of claim 20, wherein the counter electrode comprises a plurality of counter electrodes.

27. The biosensor device of claim 20, wherein the biosensor is disposable.

28. The biosensor device of claim 20, wherein the counter electrode comprises a plurality of fingers.

29. The biosensor device of claim 20, wherein the counter electrode comprises a plurality of fingers and the working electrode is disposed between the fingers of the counter electrode.

30. The biosensor device of claim 20, wherein the working electrode and the counter electrode are disposed at one end of the biosensor and the working electrode terminal, the counter electrode terminal, the first reference terminal, and the second reference terminal are disposed at an opposite end of the biosensor.

31. The biosensor device of claim 20, wherein a cross-sectional area of at least one of the first and third lines is greater than a cross-sectional area of at least one of the second and fourth lines.

32. The biosensor device of claim 20, wherein the lines are made of a metal.

33. The biosensor device of claim 20, wherein at least one of the lines is made of gold.

34. The biosensor device of claim 20, wherein at least one of the lines is located in a layer of the biosensor that is different from another layer of the biosensor wherein at least one other of the lines is located.

35. The biosensor device of claim 20, wherein at least one of the lines is located in a layer of the biosensor that is different from another layer of the biosensor wherein at least one other of the lines is located, and the lines at least partially overlap each other as viewed from above.

36. The biosensor device of claim 20, wherein the first line is disposed between the second line and the third line on the biosensor.

37. The biosensor device of claim 20, wherein the third line is disposed between the first line and the fourth line.

38. The biosensor device of claim 20, wherein at least one of the lines is formed by a microfabrication technique.

39. The biosensor device of claim 20, wherein at least one of the lines comprises a partially shared line that branches into two lines.

40. The biosensor device of claim 20, wherein at least one of the lines is formed as a thin film.

41. The biosensor device of claim 20, wherein the working electrode, the counter electrode, the working electrode terminal, the counter electrode terminal, the first reference terminal, the second reference terminal, the first line, the second line, the third line, and the fourth line are located on a substrate.

42. The biosensor device of claim 20, wherein the width of the working electrode terminal is greater than that of the line connected to such terminal.

43. The biosensor device of claim 20, wherein the width of the counter electrode terminal is greater than that of the line connected to such terminal.

44. The biosensor device of claim 20, wherein the width of the first reference terminal is greater than that of the line connected to such terminal.

45. The biosensor device of claim 20, wherein the width of the second reference terminal is greater than that of the line connected to such terminal.

46. The biosensor device of claim 20, wherein the first line is connected to the working electrode at a first point and the second line is connected to the working electrode at a second point.

47. The biosensor device of claim 20, wherein the third line is connected to the counter electrode at a first point and the fourth line is connected to the counter electrode at a second point.

48. The biosensor device of claim 20, wherein the first line is connected to the working electrode at a first point and the second line is connected to the working electrode at a second point, the first point located closer to the working electrode terminal than the second point.

49. The biosensor device of claim 20, wherein the third line is connected to the counter electrode at a first point and the fourth line is connected to the counter electrode at a second point, the first point located closer to the counter electrode terminal than the second point.

50. The biosensor device of claim 20, wherein at least one of the lines includes at least two line segments.

51. The biosensor device of claim 20, wherein at least one of the lines includes at least two line segments that are positioned generally perpendicular to each other.

52. The biosensor device of claim 20, wherein at least one of the lines includes at least two line segments that are positioned generally parallel to each other.

53. The biosensor device of claim 20, wherein the second line is disposed outside the first line relative to the centerline that extends the length of the biosensor.

54. The biosensor device of claim 20, wherein the fourth line is disposed outside the third line relative to the centerline that extends the length of the biosensor.

55. The biosensor device of claim 20, wherein:

the measurement circuit applies a voltage to the working electrode terminal during the assay; and

a voltage at the working electrode is not equal to the voltage at the working electrode terminal.

56. The biosensor device of claim 20, wherein:

the measurement circuit applies a voltage to the counter electrode terminal during the assay; and

a voltage at the counter electrode is not equal to the voltage at the counter electrode terminal.

57. The biosensor device of claim 20, wherein:

the measurement circuit applies a voltage to the working electrode terminal and a voltage to the counter electrode terminal during the assay;

a voltage at the first reference terminal is substantially equal to a voltage at the working electrode during the assay; and

a voltage at the second reference terminal is substantially equal to a voltage at the counter electrode during the assay.

58. The biosensor device of claim 20, wherein:

the measurement circuit applies a voltage to the working electrode terminal and a voltage to the counter electrode terminal during the assay; and

a current flowing through the first line is substantially equal to a current flowing through the third line.