Methods and apparatus for measuring analytes

• US 9,927,393 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2014
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Life Technologies Corporation (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Life Technologies Corporation (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Rearick, Todd, Davey, Melville, Beauchemin, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Raevis, Robert R
• Application Number:
  US14/330,756
• Publication Number:
  US 20140324376A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,352 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/4145 specially adapted for biomolecules, e.g. gate electrode with immobilised receptors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/4165 for pH meters
• CPC Class Codes: G16B 30/00 ICT specially adapted for sequence analysis involving nucleotides or amino acids

Abstract

A method, computer program product, and system are provided to calibrate a sensor array with a plurality of sensors. The method can include sweeping a voltage of a reference electrode from a first voltage to a second voltage, where the reference electrode is in fluid communication with the sensor array. The output voltage of each of the plurality of sensors can be monitored at one or more voltages within the first and second voltages. An overall average gain of the plurality of sensors can be calculated at each of the one or more voltages. Further, an acquisition window for the sensor may can be determined. The acquisition window can include a maximum distribution of sensors that provides a maximal overall average gain at a particular reference electrode voltage.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising a processor circuitry to calibrate a sensor array with a plurality of sensors, a memory circuitry in communication with the processor circuitry, the memory circuitry including instructions to cause the processor circuitry to perform a process comprising:

sweeping a voltage of a reference electrode from a first voltage to a second voltage;

monitoring an output voltage of each of the plurality of sensors at one or more voltages within the first and second voltages;

calculating an overall average gain of the plurality of sensors at each of the one or more voltages; and

determining an acquisition window for the sensor array, wherein the acquisition window comprises a maximum distribution of sensors that provide a maximal overall average gain at a particular reference electrode voltage.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reference electrode is in fluid communication with the sensor array.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sweeping the voltage of the reference electrode comprises sweeping the voltage of the reference electrode within an operating range of the sensor array.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sweeping the voltage of the reference electrode comprises sweeping the voltage of the reference electrode at a predetermined voltage increment from the first voltage to the second voltage.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise calculating the overall average gain by dividing a sum of individual gain values for each of the plurality of sensors by the number of sensors in the plurality of sensors.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the step of determining the acquisition window further comprises determining a voltage range of the reference electrode, within the first and second voltages, that provides the maximal overall average gain.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the step of determining the voltage range further comprises determining a voltage range of the reference electrode with a highest overall average gain or the voltage range of the reference electrode that produces an overall average gain within a predetermined gain range.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the step of determining the acquisition window further comprises sweeping a voltage window within the voltage range of the reference electrode that provides the maximal overall average gain.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the step of sweeping the voltage window further comprises determining a maximum distribution of sensors that provide the maximal overall average gain at the particular reference electrode voltage, and wherein the particular reference electrode voltage is within the voltage range of the reference electrode that provides the maximal overall average gain.