Paste, which can undergo screen printing, for producing a porous polymer membrane for a biosensor

• US 20030125403A1
• Filed: 11/04/2002
• Published: 07/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: LifeScan Scotland Limited (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Steine, Matthias, McAleer, Jerry, McNeilage, Alan, Macgregor, Lucy, Roders, Jamie, Von Tiedemann, Birgit
• Granted Patent: US 6,719,923 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 521/50
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2323/06 Specific viscosities of materials involved
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2323/12 Specific ratios of components used
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 67/0011 Casting solutions therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 67/0013 Casting processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 69/122 Separate manufacturing of ultra-thin membranes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 69/141 Heterogeneous membranes, e.g. containing dispersed material; Mixed matrix membranes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 69/1411 containing dispersed material in a continuous matrix
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 71/16 Cellulose acetate
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/002 Electrode membranes

Abstract

The invention relates to a paste, which can undergo screen printing, for producing a porous polymer membrane. Said paste contains at least one polymer, one or more solvents for the polymer having a boiling point of >100° C., one or more non-solvents for the polymers (pore-forming agents) having a higher boiling point than that of the solvent(s), and contains a hydrophilic viscosity modifier.

Claims

1. A screen-printable paste for producing a porous polymer membrane, comprising at least one polymer, one or more solvents for the polymer with a boiling point of >

100°

C., one or more nonsolvents (pore formers) for the polymer with a higher boiling point than the solvent(s) and a hydrophilic viscosity modifier.

2. A screen-printable paste as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the difference of the boiling points of solvent and pore former is at least 30°

C.

3. A screen-printable paste as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in chat the paste comprises cellulose acetate as polymer.

4. A screen-printable paste as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the paste comprises 1,4-dioxane and/or 4-hydroxymethylpentanone and/or ethyl acetate as solvent.

5. A screen-printable paste as claimed in at least one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the paste comprise a long-chain alcohol as pore former.

6. A screen-printable paste as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the paste comprises n-octanol and/or 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol as pore former.

7. A screen-printable paste as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that n-octanol and/or 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol is present in a proportion of 5-20% by weight.

8. A screen-printable paste as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the paste comprises hydrophilic silica xerogel as viscosity modifier.

9. A screen-printable paste as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the silica xerogel is present in a proportion of 1-10% by weight.

10. A screen-printable paste as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the paste additionally comprises vinylpyrolidone/vinyl acetate copolymer (PVP/VA) and/or polyvinylpyrolidone (PVP).

11. A screen-printable paste as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the PVP/VA or PVP is present in a proportion of 0.1% by weight.

12. A screen-printable paste as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the paste additionally comprises one or more enzymes.

14. The use of the paste as claimed in at least one of claims 1 co 12 for producing a porous polymer membrane.

15. The use as claimed in claim 14, where the polymer membrane is introduced into a biosensor test strip.

16. The use as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that the biosensor is designed for measuring the blood glucose concentration.

17. The use as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that the biosensor is designed for determining the value of the hematocrit.

18. A porous polymer membrane produced from the screen-printable paste as claimed in at least one of claims 1 to 12.

13. A method for producing a screen-printable paste, by

producing a mixture of one or more solvent(s) for a polymer and one or more nonsolvent(s) for a polymer (pore former),

mixing in the polymer until a uniform suspension results,

rolling the suspension until a clear gel results,

adding a hydrophilic viscosity modifier, and

rolling the mixture until the viscosity modifier is uniformly distributed.