Method for manufacturing an ion sensor and electrode body for an ion sensor

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing an ion sensor and an electrode body for an ion sensor, which can reduce performance defects by improving the bonding strength between the electrode body and the ion sensing film regardless of large material deviations. The present invention is a method for manufacturing an ion sensor, in which an ion sensing film is bonded to an electrode body that houses an internal solution and has an internal electrode. The method for manufacturing the ion sensor includes: a coating step of coating water on the placement surface of the electrode body where the ion sensing film is placed; a placement step of placing the ion-sensitive film in a state where there is water on the placement surface; a pressing step of pressing the ion sensing film from the opposite side of the electrode body; and an irradiation step of irradiating laser from the opposite side of the electrode body in a state where the ion sensing film is pressed against the electrode body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an ion sensor and an electrode body for an ion sensor. Background Art

[0002] An ion sensor is used together with a reference electrode to measure the concentration of ionic electrolytes in a sample, and is mounted on an analysis device such as a clinical analysis device, a water quality analysis device, a soil analysis device, a food analysis device, etc. for use.

[0003] As an ion sensing film formed on the sensing surface of an ion sensor, a film is conventionally known which has a hydrophobic organic polymer such as polyvinyl chloride as a base, and appropriately adds a plasticizer such as dibutyl phthalate (DBP), dipropyl phthalate (DPP), o-nitrophenyl octyl ether (NPOE), etc. thereto, and at the same time mixes an ion sensing substance such as valinomycin, a macrocyclic polyether derivative.

[0004] The ion sensing film is a solvent solution in which an organic polymer as a base of the ion sensing film and an ion sensing substance are dissolved in a volatile solvent at a specified ratio, and is coated on the sensing surface of the ion sensor by brushing, dipping, dropping, etc. First, a coating film of the solution is formed, and then while applying stress in the direction of the sensing surface, the evaporation of the solvent is promoted to manufacture it. Thus, in the case of evaporating the solvent while applying stress, compared with the case of simply coating and drying, an ion sensing film with an extremely smooth surface can be obtained, and an ion sensor in which the adverse effects caused by the adhesion of proteins, etc. are greatly suppressed can be obtained.

[0005] In addition, an ion sensor generally (for example, Patent Document 1) is composed of an electrode body, an internal solution, an ion sensing film, and an internal electrode. Here, in the electrode body of a flow-type ion sensor, there is a sample flow path, and through holes are provided in a part of the side surface of the sample flow path. Then, the through holes are covered with an ion sensing film to form a response surface, and the ion sensing film and the electrode body are bonded at positions other than the response surface.

[0006] Prior Art Documents

[0007] Patent Documents

[0008] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-132991 Summary of the Invention

[0009] Technical Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0010] The bonding operation of the ion sensing film and the electrode body is performed by dissolving the organic polymers constituting the ion sensing film and the electrode body once with a volatile solvent such as tetrahydrofuran (THF) at the bonding interface, and then evaporating the volatile solvent.

[0011] Here, the present inventors investigated the shape of the electrode body of the ion sensor, the shape of the ion sensing film, and the performance of the ion sensor, and as a result, found the following problems. That is to say, due to the material deviation between the electrode body and the ion sensing film, there are the following problems: the bonding strength between the electrode body and the ion sensing film is weak and it is easy to peel off. If the response surface peels off, the performance is likely to be poor.

[0012] An object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing an ion sensor and an electrode body for an ion sensor, which can reduce poor performance by improving the bonding strength between the electrode body and the ion sensing film regardless of the material deviation.

[0013] Technical means for solving technical problems

[0014] To solve the above problems, the present invention is a method for manufacturing an ion sensor, in which an ion sensing film is bonded to an electrode body that houses an internal solution and has an internal electrode. The method for manufacturing the ion sensor includes: a coating step of coating water on a placement surface of the electrode body of the electrode body where the ion sensing film is placed; a placement step of placing the ion sensing film in a state where there is water on the placement surface; a pressing step of pressing the ion sensing film from the opposite side of the electrode body; and an irradiation step of irradiating laser from the opposite side of the electrode body in a state where the ion sensing film is pressed against the electrode body.

[0015] In addition, the present invention provides an electrode body for an ion sensor, which includes an internal electrode that outputs a potential generated on the ion sensing film, and an electrode body that houses an internal solution that electrically conducts the internal electrode and the ion sensing film. The electrode body has a flow path through which a liquid containing a sample to be measured flows, and a placement surface for placing the ion sensing film. A through hole is formed at a specified position on the upper surface of the flow path, and the through hole exposes to the placement surface and brings the sample into contact with the ion sensing film. In a state where there is water on the placement surface except for the through hole, pressing and laser irradiation are performed from above the ion sensing film to bond the ion sensing film to the placement surface.

[0016] Advantages of the invention

[0017] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a method for manufacturing an ion sensor and an electrode body for an ion sensor, which can reduce poor performance by improving the bonding strength between the electrode body and the ion sensing film regardless of the material deviation. Description of the drawings

[0018] Figure 1 It is an overall view for explaining the method for manufacturing an ion sensor as an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing an ion sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 3 This represents Figure 2 a diagram of the coating process in step S1.

[0021] Figure 4 This represents Figure 2 a diagram of the placement process in step S2.

[0022] Figure 5 This represents Figure 2 a diagram of the pressing process in step S3.

[0023] Figure 6 This represents Figure 2 a diagram of the irradiation process in step S4.

[0024] Figure 7 This represents Figure 2 a diagram of the assembly process in step S5.

[0025] Figure 8 This is a diagram showing the state of the opposing surfaces of the electrode body and the ion sensing film. (a) shows the case where water 2 is not used as a comparative example, and (b) shows the case where water 2 is used as in the present embodiment. Detailed Embodiments

[0026] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0027] Figure 1 This is an overall diagram explaining the outline of the method for manufacturing the ion sensor 1 according to the present embodiment. In the method for manufacturing the ion sensor 1 of the present embodiment, water 2, a laser irradiator 3, and a counterweight 4 are used. In addition, in the electrode body 5, although the front side wall surface is not shown, this is for ease of understanding, and actually has the same wall surface as the rear side wall surface.

[0028] First, with reference to Figure 7 the structure of the electrode body for the ion sensor 1 will be described. The electrode body for the ion sensor includes an internal electrode 14 that outputs a potential to the ion sensing film, an electrode body 5 that houses an internal solution (not shown) for electrically connecting the internal electrode 14 and the ion sensing film 10, an electrode body pin 15 for sealing so that the internal solution does not leak, and an electrode body plate 13 that forms the bottom surface of the housing internal container.

[0029] Here, the electrode body 5 has a sample flow path 7 formed inside thereof for allowing a liquid containing a sample to be measured to flow therethrough, and a placement surface 9 (bonding surface) for placing the ion sensing film 10. The outer dimensions of the electrode body 5 are in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped of about 11 mm × 20 mm × 24 mm, the diameter of the sample flow path 7 is about 1 mm, and the placement surface 9 is about 5 mm × 5 mm. In addition, a through portion 8 is formed in a part of the sample flow path 7, which exposes to the placement surface 9 to bring the sample into contact with the ion sensing film 10, and is in an oval shape of about 0.9 mm × 3 mm. Further, among the materials of the electrode body 5, it is considered to make the entire electrode body 5 a thermoplastic resin or a hard resin containing a pigment. Alternatively, the pigment can be separately coated on the placement surface 9 of the electrode body 5 formed of a hard resin. Therefore, at least the placement surface 9 of the electrode body 5 is desired to use a material having a melting point lower than that of the ion sensing film as a material that easily generates heat energy.

[0030] Next, use Figures 2 to 7 to describe in detail the manufacturing method of the ion sensor 1. Figure 2 is a flowchart showing the manufacturing method of the ion sensor, Figures 3 to 7 and is a diagram for explaining each process in the manufacturing method of the ion sensor.

[0031] First, water 2 is coated on the placement surface 9 of the electrode body 5 (step S1). Figure 3 is a diagram showing the coating process in this step S1. In addition, since the water coated on the placement surface 9 is held on the surface of the placement surface 9 by surface tension, it does not flow from the through portion 8 into the sample flow path.

[0032] Next, in a state where the water 2 exists on the placement surface 9 except for the through portion 8 (before the water 2 evaporates and disappears), the ion sensing film 10 is placed on the placement surface 9 of the electrode body 5 from above (step S2). Figure 4 is a diagram showing the placement process in this step S2. Here, the ion sensing film 10 is formed of a soft or hard resin material having a diameter of about 5 mm and a thickness of about 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm. In addition, the ion sensing film 10 transmits wavelengths in the far-infrared region and has a melting point higher than that of the electrode body 5 on the placement surface 9.

[0033] After that, the ion sensing film 10 is pressed from the opposite side of the electrode body 5 (step S3). Figure 5This is a diagram showing the pressing process in step S3. In this pressing process, a counterweight 4 is used. Through this counterweight 4, the ion sensing film 10 is pressed vertically against the placement surface 9 of the electrode body 5 with water 2 in between. The force for pressing the entire ion sensing film 10 with the counterweight 4 is set to be about 10 N to 100 N, and there is good adhesion between the ion sensing film 10, water 2, and the electrode body 5. Here, in addition to transparent glass such as quartz glass, the material of the counterweight 4 can also be ceramics, etc., but as long as it is a material that allows the wavelength in the far-infrared region to pass through, it is not limited to these materials. In addition, the lower end surface of the counterweight 4 on the side in contact with the ion sensing film 10 has a size similar to that of the placement surface 9 of the electrode body 5 and has a shape similar to the placement surface 9. Additionally, the pressing force can be not only the gravity of the counterweight 4 itself but also obtained by using an external force such as a servo motor.

[0034] In the next process, while the ion sensing film 10 is pressed against the placement surface 9, a laser is irradiated from above the ion sensing film 10 (the side opposite to the electrode body 5) (step S4). Figure 6 This is a diagram showing the irradiation process in step S4. The laser is a wavelength in the far-infrared region emitted from the laser irradiator 3. When irradiated onto the entire placement surface 9 or the entire counterweight 4, the energy of the laser becomes heat energy, and the placement surface 9 of the electrode body 5 melts due to heat. At this time, since the gap between the opposing surfaces of the ion sensing film 10 and the electrode body 5 is filled with the water coated in the coating process in step S1, the heat generated by the laser irradiation is transferred. Additionally, considering that the placement surface 9 of the electrode body 5 melts until it solidifies, the irradiation time of the laser is preferably about 1 second to 20 seconds. Furthermore, during the pressing process in step S3, the irradiation process is carried out, and the ion sensing film 10 is pressed against the molten placement surface 9, so they are easily bonded to each other. Moreover, even after the irradiation process ends, the pressing process is carried out for about 1 second to 20 seconds, so the bonding strength between the placement surface 9 near the through-hole 8 and the ion sensing film 10 is also improved.

[0035] When the irradiation process and the pressing process are completed, the final assembly process of the ion sensor 1 is entered (step S5). Figure 7 This is a diagram showing the assembly process in step S5. In this assembly process, first, the electrode body plate 13 is bonded and fixed to the electrode body 5, and the internal solution is filled from the hole 12. In addition, the internal electrode 14 is inserted from the hole 12 and bonded and fixed to the electrode body 5, and then the electrode body pin 15 is inserted from the hole 12 and bonded and fixed to the electrode body 5. Thus, the manufacturing of the ion sensor 1 is completed.

[0036] Hereinafter, the effect of water 2 in the manufacturing method of the ion sensor 1 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 8This is a diagram showing the state of the opposite surfaces of the electrode body 5 and the ion sensing film 10 when the ion sensing film 10 is pressed by the counterweight 4. (a) shows the case where water 2 is not used as a comparative example, and (b) shows the case where water 2 is used as in the present embodiment. Here, taking the case where there are deviations in the material of the electrode body 5 and unevenness is generated on the placement surface 9 as an example for explanation, the case where there are deviations in the material of the ion sensing film 10 is the same.

[0037] First, in the case where water 2 is not used as shown in the comparative example, as Figure 8 (a) shows, due to the presence of the gap 11, even when the laser irradiator 3 irradiates laser, it is difficult for the thermal energy to be evenly transferred between the electrode body 5 and the ion sensing film 10.

[0038] On the other hand, in the present embodiment, as Figure 8 (b) shows, since the gap existing between the electrode body 5 and the ion sensing film 10 is filled with water 2, when laser irradiation occurs, the thermal energy is evenly transferred. Here, although the water 2 itself evaporates due to heat, it sufficiently promotes the melting in the placement surface 9 of the electrode body 5 and improves the adhesion between the electrode body 5 and the ion sensing film 10. As a result, according to the present embodiment, even when there are material deviations in the electrode body 5, since the bonding strength between the electrode body 5 and the ion sensing film 10 becomes stronger, it is possible to suppress performance defects caused by the peeling of the response surface and to obtain stable quality and a high yield.

[0039] In addition, the above-described embodiment is a detailed description for easily understanding the present invention, and the present invention does not necessarily have to include all the structures described. In addition, it is also possible to add, delete, or replace some structures of each embodiment with other structures.

[0040] Reference Numeral Explanation

[0041] 1 Ion sensor

[0042] 2 Water

[0043] 3 Laser irradiator

[0044] 4 Counterweight

[0045] 5 Electrode body

[0046] 7 Sample flow path

[0047] 8 Through-hole portion

[0048] 9 Placement surface

[0049] 10 Ion sensing film

[0050] 11 Gap

[0051] 12 Hole portion

[0052] 13 Electrode main body plate

[0053] 14 Internal electrode

[0054] 15 Electrode main body pin.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing an ion sensor, which is a method for manufacturing an ion sensor in which an ion sensing film is bonded to an electrode body that houses an internal solution and has an internal electrode, characterized in that, Comprising: A coating step, in which water is coated onto the placement surface of the electrode body where the ion sensing film is placed in the electrode body. The electrode body has a flow path through which a liquid containing a sample to be measured flows and the placement surface, and a through-hole exposing to the placement surface is formed at a specified position on the upper surface of the flow path; A placement step, in which the ion sensing film is placed in a state where there is water on the placement surface except for the through-hole; A pressing step, in which the ion sensing film is pressed from the opposite side of the electrode body so that the gaps caused by material deviation on the ion sensing film or the placement surface are filled with water; And An irradiation step, in which, in a state where the ion sensing film is pressed against the electrode body, laser is irradiated from the opposite side of the electrode body to melt the placement surface and bond it to the ion sensing film.

2. The manufacturing method of the ion sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that In the pressing step, a weight that allows the laser to pass through is used.

3. The manufacturing method of the ion sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that The irradiation step is performed during the continuation of the pressing step.

4. The manufacturing method of the ion sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that The melting point of the placement surface of the electrode body is lower than that of the ion sensing film.

5. The manufacturing method of the ion sensor according to claim 4, characterized in that A material different from the main body of the electrode body is provided on the placement surface of the electrode body.

6. An electrode body for an ion sensor, comprising: An internal electrode that outputs the potential generated on the ion sensing film; And an electrode body that houses an internal solution that electrically conducts the internal electrode and the ion sensing film, The electrode body for the ion sensor is characterized in that The electrode body has a flow path through which a liquid containing a sample to be measured flows and a placement surface for placing the ion sensing film, A through-hole is formed at a specified position on the upper surface of the flow path, and the through-hole exposes to the placement surface and brings the sample into contact with the ion sensing film, In a state where there is water on the placement surface except for the through-hole, the ion sensing film or the gaps caused by material deviation on the placement surface are filled with water by pressing from above the ion sensing film, and the placement surface is melted by laser irradiation to bond the ion sensing film to the placement surface.

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