Sensor arrays for detecting analytes in fluids

Abstract

Chemical sensors for detecting analytes in fluids comprise first and second conductive elements (e.g. electrical leads) electrically coupled to and separated by a chemically sensitive resistor which provides an electrical path between the conductive elements. The resistor comprises a plurality of alternating nonconductive regions (comprising a nonconductive organic polymer) and conductive regions (comprising a conductive material) transverse to the electrical path. The resistor provides a difference in resistance between the conductive elements when contacted with a fluid comprising a chemical analyte at a first concentration, than when contacted with a fluid comprising the chemical analyte at a second different concentration. Arrays of such sensors are constructed with at least two sensors having different chemically sensitive resistors providing dissimilar such differences in resistance. Variability in chemical sensitivity from sensor to sensor is provided by qualitatively or quantitatively varying the composition of the conductive and / or nonconductive regions. An electronic nose for detecting an analyte in a fluid may be constructed by using such arrays in conjunction with an electrical measuring device electrically connected to the conductive elements of each sensor.

Description

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention[0003] The field of the invention is electrical sensors for detecting analytes in fluids.[0004] 2. Background[0005] There is considerable interest in developing sensors that act as analogs of the mammalian olfactory system (1-2). This system is thought to utilize probabilistic repertoires of many different receptors to recognize a single odorant (3-4). In such a configuration, the burden of recognition is not on highly specific receptors, as in the traditional "lock-and-key" molecular recognition approach to chemical sensing, but lies instead on the distributed pattern processing of the olfactory bulb and the brain (5-6).[0006] Prior attempts to produce a broadly responsive sensor array have exploited heated metal oxide thin film resistors (7-9), polymer sorption layers on the surfaces of acoustic wave resonators (10-11), arrays of electrochemical detectors (12-14), or conductive polymers (15-16). Arrays of metal oxide thin film resistors, typically b...

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Benefits of technology

[0058] In summary, the results presented herein advance the area of analyte sensor design. A relatively simple array design, using only a multiplexed low-power dc electrical resistance readout signal, has been shown to readily distinguish between various test odorants. Such conducting polymer-based arrays are simple to construct and modify, and afford an opportunity to effect chemical control over the response pattern of a vapor. For example, by increasing the ratio of plasticizer to conducting polymer, it is possible to approach the percolation threshold, at which point the conductivity exhibits a very sensitive response to the presence of the sorbed molecules. Furthermore, producing thinner films will afford the opportunity to obtain decreased response times, and increasing the number of plasticizing polymers and polymer backbone motifs will likely result in increased diversity among sensors. This type of polymer-based array is chemically flexible, is simple to fabricate, modify, and analyze, and utilizes a low power dc resistance readout signal transduction path to convert chemical data into electrical signals. It provides a new approach to broadly-responsive odor sensors for fundamental and applied investigations of chemical mimics for the mammalian sense of smell. Such systems are useful for evaluating the generality of neural network algorithms developed to understand how the mammalian olfactory system identifies the directionality, concentration, and identity of various odors.

Problems solved by technology

Since all elements of the resistor must be soluble, however, solution cast routes are somewhat limited in their applicability.

With mechanical mixing, there are no solubility restrictions since it involves only the physical mixing of the resistor components, but device fabrication is more difficult since spin, spray and dip coating are no longer possible.

The choice of non-conductive polymers in this route is, of course, limited to those that are soluble in the reaction media.

Again, the choice of non-conductive polymers is limited to those that are soluble in the solvents that the undoped conducting polymer is soluble in and to those stable to the doping reaction.

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