EP0503943A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Sensor devices
Assignee: University of Manchester
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Filing: 1992-03-12
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2012-03-12
Abstract
Abstract Analytical sensor devices incorporating a permselective medium immobilised as a continuous liquid or gel phase barrier between sample and detector. The barrier is electrically insulating, impermeable to charged non-lipophilic species, selectively partitions lipophilic species diffusing through it, and its selectivity can be controlled or optimised by pH adjustments. The preferred barrier form has the permselective medium (e.g. a lipid or ester) immobilised by incorporation as plasticiser in a polymer (especially PVC). The preferred detector is an electrode, especially of non-potentiometric type. The sensor can be used to detect components as such or indirectly by allowing them to react to produce other materials to which the detector responds (e.g. an ionic species or an ion concentration or activity change) and is also applicable to detecting neutral or small uncharged hydrophilic species, e.g. hydrogen peroxide -- especially that formed by enzyme action in the sensor or detector system.
Inventors
- 👤 Pankaj Madganlal Vadgama
- 👤 Mark Franklyn Rosenberg
- 👤 Ian Mcintyre Christie
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 21:07
CPC Classifications
C; C12; C12Q; C12Q1/00; C12Q1/001; C12Q1/005
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
151 words
A sensor device comprising detecting means for detecting a preselected lipophilic component (especially one which is electrochemically active) present in a fluid sample and providing an output representative of the content of said component in the sample, a permselective medium and means immobilising said permselective medium as a continuous liquid or gel phase to form a substantially electrically insulating barrier between the detecting means and a fluid sample to be analysed, the permselective medium being substantially impermeable to charged substantially non-lipophilic species that may be present in samples to be analysed and being selective, by partitioning, for lipophilic species whereby any of said pre-selected lipophilic component in the sample partitions into and diffuses through the barrier for detection on the other side of the permselective medium barrier by the detecting means, and preferably including also an electrolyte medium, separated by the permselective medium barrier from the fluid sample to be analysed.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
81 words
A sensor device as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the detecting means is of an electrochemical nature (for example an electrode which is preferably of the non-potentiometric type and especially an ion-selective electrode) and there is present, between said permselective medium barrier and said electrode, an electrolyte medium containing an agent which reacts with at least a preselected lipophilic compound to produce an ionic species, or a concentration or activity change in an ionic species, to which the electrode is responsive.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
A sensor device as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the permselective medium is immobilised by confinement between a pair of supports.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
88 words
A sensor device as claimed in any of Claim 1 to 3 wherein the permselective medium is immobilised by incorporation in a polymeric material (especially poly vinyl chloride) such that the permselective medium forms a continuous phase and is preferably present throughout the thickness of the layer or film formed by the polymeric material and the permselective material, especially as a plasticiser which is substantially miscible with the polymeric material so as to form a substantially homogeneous phase in which the plasticiser is immobilised by the polymeric material.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
41 words
A sensor device as claimed in Claims 1 to 4 which comprises means, for example an enzyme, for interacting with the preselected component to produce a directly detectable electrochemically active species, for example small uncharged neutral hydrophilic compounds, especially hydrogen peroxide.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
27 words
A method for determining a lipophilic analyte in a fluid specimen, which uses a sensor device as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 5 and 10.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
111 words
A method for determining a lipophilic analyte as claimed in Claim 6, which comprises contacting the sample with a permselective medium which is immobilised as a continuous liquid or gel phase to form an electrically insulating barrier layer enclosing a detecting system including an electrolyte medium, such contact of the specimen with the permselective material being made at the opposite side of the barrier to that side presented towards the electrolyte medium and the permselective medium being substantially impermeable to said charged substantially non-lipophilic species and being selective, by partitioning, for said lipophilic analyte, and using the detecting system to directly or indirectly detect the lipophilic analyte diffusing through the barrier.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
157 words
A method as claimed in Claim 7 adapted for the electrolytic determination of hydrogen peroxide derived from a specimen containing charged substantially non-lipophilic species, (especially hydrogen peroxide which is generated as a result of interaction of a desired component with an enzyme, for example glucose oxidase which is used to promote the oxidation of glucose in the presence of oxygen) which method comprises contacting the specimen with a permselective medium which is immobilised as a continuous liquid or gel phase to form an electrically insulating barrier layer enclosing a detecting system including an electrolyte medium, such contact of the specimen with the permselective material being made at the opposite side of the barrier to that side presented towards the electrolyte medium and the permselective medium being substantially impermeable to the said charged substantially non-lipophilic species and being at least partially selective towards hydrogen peroxide, and using the detecting system to detect hydrogen peroxide diffusing through the barrier.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
39 words
A method as claimed in Claims 6 to 8 wherein the pH values on opposite sides of the barrier are adjusted to optimise the signals produced by the electrode system and/or control the lipophilicity of components in the sample.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
A sensor or a method for determining a lipophilic analyte or hydrogen peroxide, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying Examples.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4236987A
Cited
WO1990005910A1
Cited
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