Use of spatiotemporal response behavior in sensor arrays to detect analytes in fluids
First Claim
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1. A method of detecting an analyte in a fluid, comprising:
- providing a sensor array including at least a first sensor and a second sensor in an arrangement having a defined fluid flow path;
exposing the sensor array to a fluid including an analyte by introducing the fluid along the fluid flow path;
measuring a response for the first sensor and the second sensor; and
detecting the presence of the analyte in the fluid based on a spatio-temporal difference between the responses for the first and second sensors, wherein detecting the presence of the analyte includes generating a spatio-temporal response profile indicative of the presence of the analyte based on the spatio-temporal difference between the responses for the first and second sensors.
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Abstract
Methods, systems and sensor arrays are provided implementing techniques for detecting an analyte in a fluid. The techniques include providing a sensor array including at least a first sensor and a second sensor in an arrangement having a defined fluid flow path, exposing the sensor array to a fluid including an analyte by introducing the fluid along the fluid flow path, measuring a response for the first sensor and the second sensor, and detecting the presence of the analyte in the fluid based on a spatio-temporal difference between the responses for the first and second sensors.
90 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method of detecting an analyte in a fluid, comprising:
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providing a sensor array including at least a first sensor and a second sensor in an arrangement having a defined fluid flow path;
exposing the sensor array to a fluid including an analyte by introducing the fluid along the fluid flow path;
measuring a response for the first sensor and the second sensor; and
detecting the presence of the analyte in the fluid based on a spatio-temporal difference between the responses for the first and second sensors, wherein detecting the presence of the analyte includes generating a spatio-temporal response profile indicative of the presence of the analyte based on the spatio-temporal difference between the responses for the first and second sensors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
the spatio-temporal response profile is derived from time information indicating the dependence of sensor response on time.
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3. The method of claim 2, wherein:
the first sensor is exposed to the fluid before the second sensor, such that the response of the second sensor is delayed with respect to the response of the first sensor.
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4. The method of claim 2, wherein:
the first sensor is exposed to the fluid before the second sensor, such that the response of the second sensor is changed in amplitude with respect to the response of the first sensor.
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5. The method of claim 4, wherein:
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the first sensor includes a sensing material; and
the response of the first sensor is greater than the response of the second sensor for an analyte having a high affinity for the sensing material.
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6. The method of claim 3, wherein:
the first and second sensors are selected and arranged to provide a first delay between the response of the first sensor and the response of the second sensor upon exposure of the sensor array to a fluid including a first analyte and a second delay between the response of the first sensor and the response of the second sensor upon exposure of the sensor array to a fluid including a second analyte.
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7. The method of claim 6, wherein:
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measuring the response includes measuring the delay between the response of the first sensor and the response of the second sensor; and
the spatio-temporal difference between the responses for the first and second sensors is derived from the delay.
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8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:
characterizing the analyte based on the spatio-temporal difference between the responses.
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9. The method of claim 1, wherein:
exposing the sensor array to the fluid includes introducing the fluid at a varying flow rate.
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10. The method of claim 9, wherein:
generating the spatio-temporal response profile includes generating flow information indicating the dependence of sensor response on flow rate.
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11. The method of claim 1, wherein:
the sensor array includes a plurality of cross-reactive sensors.
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12. The method of claim 1, wherein:
the sensor array includes a plurality of sensors selected from the group including surface acoustic wave sensors, quartz crystal resonators, metal oxide sensors, dye-coated fiber optic sensors, dye-impregnated bead arrays, micromachined cantilever arrays, composites having regions of conducting material and regions of insulating organic material, composites having regions of conducting material and regions of conducting or semiconducting organic material, chemically-sensitive resistor or capacitor films, metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors, and bulk organic conducting polymeric sensors.
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13. The method of claim 1, wherein:
the first and second sensors comprise composites having regions of a conducting material and regions of an insulating organic material.
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14. The method of claim 1, wherein:
the first and second sensors comprise composites having regions of a conducting material and regions of a conducting organic material.
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15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
generating a digital representation of the analyte based at least in part on the responses of the first and second sensors.
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16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:
communicating the digital representation of the analyte to a remote location for analysis.
Specification