Systems and methods for detecting a substance in bodily fluid

Abstract

Various devices, systems and methods for determining a parameter of and / or detecting chemical and biological substances in bodily fluid are described herein. A device or system may include a substrate. An active sensor having an electrical characteristic and / or a control sensor may be disposed on the substrate. In certain variations, a differential between a first signal from the active sensor, and a second signal from the control sensor may be used to determine a parameter of the chemical or biological substance in the sample of bodily fluid.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14 / 586,802, filed on Dec. 30, 2014, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present systems and methods relate generally to devices, systems and methods for detecting various parameters of a chemical or biological substance in bodily fluid.BACKGROUND[0003]Integration of biosensors on a small scale for e.g., in-home testing is increasingly being favored by healthcare providers, however it has been a challenge for years. Optical-based biosensors require bulky detection equipment and access to power supplies. Vibration sensitive biosensors (AFM, crystal-quartz balance etc.) cannot be built into a hand-held or portable device since background vibration will interfere with the signal. Biosensors made from electrical components have been considered as a good solution, however existing biosensors face several pr...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Integration of biosensors on a small scale for e.g., in-home testing is increasingly being favored by healthcare providers, however it has been a challenge for years.

Optical-based biosensors require bulky detection equipment and access to power supplies.

Vibration sensitive biosensors (AFM, crystal-quartz balance etc.) cannot be built into a hand-held or portable device since background vibration will interfere with the signal.

Biosensors made from electrical components have been considered as a good solution, however existing biosensors face several problems including limitations caused by electrostatic screening in complex media.

Several methods to circumvent this problem including sample dilution and pulsed electrical properties have been explored, resulting in additional sample processing steps and the dilution of the analyte, or adding complexity to the device design.

In addition, reference and calibration processes prior to use of the biosensors complicates their use.

Existing biosensors used to detect substances in bodily fluid suffer from a number of other limitations as well.

For example, existing biosensors may be utilized for analyte detection; however, due to the inability to control various environmental factors surrounding the sample of bodily fluid and the biosensor, signals associated with this detection are often not accurate, not reproducible and do not provide a reliable or stable readout.

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