ELECTROCHEMICAL SENSOR AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING

• US 20140318988A1
• Filed: 04/21/2014
• Published: 10/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pepex Biomedical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pepex Biomedical, LLC
• Inventors: Say, James L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,459,228 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 205/782
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/327 Biochemical electrodes , e.g. electrical or mechanical details for in vitro measurements
• 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 27/3275 Sensing specific biomolecules, e.g. nucleic acid strands, based on an electrode surface reaction

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a sensor including an elongated member including at least a portion that is electrically conductive. The elongated member includes a sensing layer adapted to react with a material desired to be sensed. An insulating layer surrounds the elongated member. The insulating layer defines at least one access opening for allowing the material desired to be sensed to enter an interior region defined between the elongated member and the insulating layer. The insulating layer has an inner transverse cross-sectional profile that is different from an outer transverse cross-sectional profile of the elongated member. The difference in transverse cross-sectional profiles between the elongated member and the insulating layer provides channels at the interior region defined between the insulating layer and the elongated member. The channels extend generally along the length of the elongated member and are sized to allow the material desired to be sensed to move along the length of the sensor.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. An electrochemical sensor comprising:

a tubular body defining a hollow interior, the tubular body defining a first electrode;

a profiled body disposed within the hollow interior, the profiled body being elongated along a length, the profiled body defining a first exterior surface and a second exterior surface that extend along the length of the profiled body, the first exterior surface facing outwardly in a different direction than the second exterior surface;

a second electrode disposed on the first surface of the profiled body;

a third electrode disposed on the second surface of the profiled body, the third electrode being physically separate from the second electrode; and

a sensing chemistry disposed within the hollow interior.

3. The electrochemical sensor of claim 2, wherein the tubular body defines an open tip leading to the hollow interior, the open tip being sized to be immersed within an in vivo sample containing an analyte to be sensed.

4. The electrochemical sensor of claim 2, wherein the second electrode is a working electrode.

5. The electrochemical sensor of claim 4, wherein the third electrode is a working electrode.

6. The electrochemical sensor of claim 4, wherein the first electrode is a counter electrode.

7. The electrochemical sensor of claim 2, wherein the profiled body includes a dielectric material.

8. The electrochemical sensor of claim 2, wherein the profiled body includes a third exterior surface that faces the hollow interior of the tubular body, the third exterior surface facing outwardly in a different direction than the first and second exterior surfaces.

9. The electrochemical sensor of claim 8, further comprising a fourth electrode disposed on the third surface of the profiled body, the fourth electrode being physically separate from the second and third electrodes.

10. The electrochemical sensor of claim 9, wherein the fourth electrode is a working electrode.

11. The electrochemical sensor of claim 2, wherein the profiled body separates the hollow interior into channels that are accessible through an open tip, wherein the sensing chemistry is disposed within the channels.

12. The electrochemical sensor of claim 2, further comprising an insulating layer disposed between the profiled body and the counter electrode body.

13. The electrochemical sensor of claim 2, wherein the sensing chemistry is configured to sense glucose.

14. The electrochemical sensor of claim 2, wherein the sensing chemistry is configured to sense lactate.

15. The electrochemical sensor of claim 2, wherein the electrochemical sensor is configured to sense oxygen.

16. An electrochemical sensor comprising:

a profiled, dielectric body elongated along a length, the profiled, dielectric body defining a first exterior surface and a second exterior surface that extend along the length of the profiled, dielectric body, the first exterior surface facing outwardly in a different direction than the second exterior surface;

a first electrode disposed on the first exterior surface of the profiled, dielectric body; and

a second electrode disposed on the second exterior surface of the profiled, dielectric body.

17. The electrochemical sensor of claim 16, wherein the first electrode is a working electrode.

18. The electrochemical sensor of claim 16, wherein the second electrode is a working electrode.

19. The electrochemical sensor of claim 16, wherein the profiled, dielectric body has a third exterior surface that extends along the length of the profiled, dielectric body, the third exterior surface facing outwardly in a different direction than the first and second exterior surfaces;

and wherein the electrochemical sensor further comprises a third electrode disposed on the third exterior surface of the profiled, dielectric body.

20. A method of sensing an analyte with an electrochemical sensor, the method comprising:

immersing an open tip of an electrochemical sensor in a sample fluid, the electrochemical sensor including a counter electrode body that defines the open tip, the sample fluid including an analyte to be sensed;

receiving fluid at an open tip so that the fluid travels along a plurality of channels defined by a profiled body disposed within the counter electrode body;

wetting sensing chemistry disposed along exterior surfaces of the profiled body with the fluid received along the channels, wherein wetting the sensing chemistry causes a chemical reaction at working electrodes disposed between the sensing chemistry and the exterior surfaces of the profiled body, wherein the working electrodes are separated physically from each other, wherein the fluid electrically connects the counter electrode body and the working electrodes; and

measuring current generated at the working electrodes by the chemical reaction.