Biosensor Cartridge and Biosensor Device Containing the Same

Abstract

A biosensor cartridge is disclosed. The biosensor cartridge according to one aspect of the present invention is a biosensor cartridge that detects a biological substance and generates an electrochemiluminescence signal, and includes an electrode portion including a plurality of electrodes, and a signal chamber that is an overall space provided on the electrode portion, and a dividing portion disposed on the electrode portion so as to divide the signal chamber into N reaction chambers surrounding the signal chamber. The electrode portion includes a first electrode at least a part of which is disposed in the reaction chamber, a second electrode disposed in the signal chamber, and N connection electrodes disposed so as to electrically link the chemical reaction in the reaction chamber and the electrochemiluminescence signal generated in the signal chamber.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an ion sensor cartridge, and more particularly to a biosensor cartridge that detects a biological substance and generates an electrochemiluminescence signal, and a biosensor device including the same.

Background Art

[0002] In vitro diagnostic techniques are technically broadly classified into molecular diagnostic techniques for quantitatively / qualitatively analyzing specific genes, immunoassay techniques for analyzing specific antigens / proteins, clinical chemical analysis techniques for analyzing the concentration of single biological molecules, extracellular vesicle (EV) analysis techniques that occur during the metabolic process of cells, and the like. Such in vitro diagnostic techniques are widely used in various fields such as for infectious diseases, diabetes, oncology, cardiology, autoimmune diseases, and new drug development.

[0003] On the other hand, in relation to in vitro diagnostic techniques, recently, due to an increase in the need for early diagnosis, preventive treatment, and health monitoring for earlier disease diagnosis, there is a tendency to shift the paradigm from a diagnostic test centered on large hospitals to a patient-centered, decentralized / on-site diagnostic test method.

[0004] In order to cope with such a new paradigm, it is essential to develop in vitro diagnostic devices that can achieve the effects of high performance, decentralization / decentralization, and miniaturization / on-site. However, current in vitro diagnostic devices are actually popular in two forms: high-performance / large / high-cost diagnostic devices for central laboratories and low-performance / small / low-cost on-site diagnostic devices according to the test form. Therefore, there is no technical alternative applicable to the aforementioned new paradigm.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The present invention is for solving the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a biosensor cartridge having high-sensitivity in vitro diagnostic performance, and at the same time having a fast diagnostic speed and a compact structure advantageous for on-site dissemination, and a biosensor device including the same.

[0006] The problems of the present invention are not limited to the above problems, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains from the following description.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a biosensor cartridge that detects a biological substance and generates an electrochemiluminescence signal, including an electrode portion including a plurality of electrodes, and a signal chamber provided on the electrode portion for the entire space, and a dividing portion disposed on the electrode portion so as to divide the signal chamber into N reaction chambers surrounding the signal chamber. The electrode portion includes at least a part of a first electrode disposed in the reaction chamber, a second electrode disposed in the signal chamber, and N connection electrodes disposed so as to electrically interlock the chemical reaction in the reaction chamber and the electrochemiluminescence signal generated in the signal chamber.

[0008] At this time, the connection electrode may be integrally formed including a detection portion disposed in the reaction chamber and a light-emitting portion disposed in the signal chamber. At this time, the detection portion of the connection electrode is formed so as to surround at least a part of the first electrode while being spaced apart from the first electrode by a predetermined distance, and the light-emitting portion of the connection electrode is disposed so as to face the second electrode and may be formed to have a pointed end shape.

[0009] At this time, the connection electrode may be formed to have an overall Y shape. At this time, the electrode portion may be formed in a circular shape, and the dividing portion may be formed such that an outer wall has a circular shape corresponding to the shape of the electrode portion.

[0010] At this time, the dividing part may include an outer wall disposed on the outermost side of the dividing part and forming one side part of the N reaction chambers, an inner wall disposed inside the outer wall and dividing the signal chamber, and a partition wall extending from the inner peripheral surface of the outer wall to the outer peripheral surface of the inner wall and having N partitions spaced apart along the circumferential direction of the inner wall.

[0011] At this time, the outer wall and the inner wall may be formed in a circular shape, and eight of the partition walls may be arranged at equal intervals so that eight reaction chambers are formed between the inner wall and the outer wall. At this time, the second electrode may be formed to have an octagonal shape.

[0012] At this time, the inner wall may be arranged so as to cross the N connection electrodes, and an insulator may be arranged at a portion of the N connection electrodes where the inner wall is arranged. At this time, the first electrode may be formed in a single closed curve shape and may include a support portion divided into N portions by the dividing part.

[0013] At this time, the support portion may be formed in a circular shape centered on the second electrode. At this time, the first electrode may further include N reaction portions protruding in a direction from the support portion toward the second electrode, and the N reaction portions may be arranged one by one in the N reaction chambers.

[0014] At this time, the reaction portion may be formed in a circular shape, and one end portion of the connection electrode may be formed to surround the reaction portion while being separated from the reaction portion by a predetermined distance. At this time, different samples collected from different individuals may be introduced into the N reaction chambers respectively.

[0015] At this time, the same sample collected from the same individual may be introduced into the N reaction chambers, and different detection reagents may be introduced for detecting a plurality of biological substances in the same sample.

[0016] At this time, the biological substance means a substance for detecting the presence or absence of infection with an infectious disease, a metabolic disease, an immune disease, or the presence or absence of cancer development, and may be at least one of DNA, RNA, protein, metabolite, and extracellular vesicle.

[0017] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a biosensor device including the biosensor cartridge, a main body portion in which an accommodation space is formed to accommodate the biosensor cartridge, a voltage application portion disposed on the accommodation space side of the main body portion to apply a voltage to the electrode portion side of the biosensor cartridge, and an image sensor portion for photographing the electrochemiluminescence signal generated in the second chamber of the biosensor cartridge.

[0018] At this time, the biosensor cartridge may be formed as disposable. At this time, the dividing portion may include at least one insertion protrusion formed to protrude outward in part, and the main body portion may have at least one insertion groove formed at a position corresponding to the insertion protrusion so that the insertion protrusion is inserted and fixed.

[0019] At this time, a magnetic force application member disposed at a position corresponding to the reaction chamber in the accommodation space of the main body may be further included so as to apply a magnetic force to the reaction chamber side.

Advantages of the Invention

[0020] With the above configuration, the biosensor cartridge according to the embodiment of the present invention can form optimized reaction conditions for each chamber by spatial separation through the dividing portion, and can obtain highly sensitive detection results.

[0021] In addition, the biosensor cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of reaction chambers so that a plurality of samples can be diagnosed simultaneously, and a plurality of light-emitting portions are arranged in a single signal chamber so that the detection results can be confirmed all at once, thereby enabling a dramatic improvement in the diagnostic speed.

[0022] Also, the biosensor cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention includes connection electrodes with optimized structures for the detection portion and the light-emitting portion respectively, thereby enabling further improvement in the detection sensitivity.

[0023] Furthermore, since the biosensor device according to an embodiment of the present invention can be driven by only a super-compact device, it can be easily popularized in medical sites. The effects of the present invention are not limited to the above effects, and should be understood to include all effects that can be inferred from the configuration of the invention described in the detailed description or claims of the present invention.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0024]

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Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0025] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains can easily implement them. The present invention can be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. To clearly explain the present invention, parts not related to the explanation in the drawings are omitted, and the same reference numerals are given to the same or similar components throughout the specification.

[0026] The words and terms used in this specification and the claims are not to be construed in a limited sense in accordance with ordinary or dictionary meanings, but should be construed in a meaning and concept that conforms to the technical idea of the present invention based on the principle that the inventor can define terms and concepts in order to explain his invention in the best way.

[0027] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a biosensor device according to an embodiment of the present invention separately. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram schematically showing a biosensor device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a view showing the front and back of a biosensor cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention separately. FIG. 4 is a view of a biosensor cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention as seen from above. FIG. 5 is a view partially showing a part of an electrode portion of a biosensor cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a view showing another example of an electrode portion of a biosensor cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a view showing a connection electrode of a biosensor cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a view showing that the current density was measured by changing the shapes of a plurality of connection electrodes included in a biosensor cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] A biosensor device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a device that can be used in various fields that require detection of biological substances, such as the medical field or the research field, for example, and is a device that generates an electrochemiluminescence (ECL) signal according to the presence or absence of detection of biological substances contained in a sample.

[0029] At this time, the biosensor device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can improve the detection sensitivity through a biosensor cartridge 10 including a plurality of reaction chambers 26 and a single signal chamber 27 that are spatially separated from each other, and at the same time, can quickly diagnose the presence or absence of biological substances in a plurality of samples. Hereinafter, the biosensor cartridge 10 will be mainly described.

[0030] A biosensor cartridge 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a member in which a sample to be detected for biological substances is accommodated, and as shown in FIG. 1, includes a dividing portion 20 and an electrode portion 30. First, the dividing portion 20 is a member for dividing the entire space G provided above the electrode portion 30 described later into a plurality of spaces 26 and 27.

[0031] More specifically, the dividing portion 20 can divide the entire space G into a signal chamber 27 disposed inside and a reaction chamber 26 disposed outside. At this time, as shown in FIG. 4, there may be a single signal chamber 27 disposed at the center in the entire space G. At this time, the light-emitting portion 37 of the connection electrode 35 described later is disposed in the signal chamber 27, and an electrochemiluminescence signal can be observed. However, this will be described in detail through the corresponding part.

[0032] Next, unlike the signal chamber 27, a plurality of reaction chambers 26 may be provided. At this time, the plurality of reaction chambers 26 can be arranged so as to surround the signal chamber 27 at the center. For example, as shown in the figure, eight reaction chambers 26 may be provided, but it can be understood that the example showing the number of reaction chambers 26 is not limited thereto. That is, the reaction chambers 26 may be provided in various numbers (for example, 24) as long as there are two or more.

[0033] Also, in the figure, the electrode portion 30 is formed in a circular shape, and thus the entire space G is shown as being divided into a circular signal chamber 27 and a reaction chamber 26 having a shape like a frustum of a cone expanded. However, it should be clarified that the electrode portion 30 can also have various shapes such as a square and a rectangle, and the shapes of the signal chamber 27 and the reaction chamber 26 are not limited to the aforementioned examples.

[0034] On the other hand, a sample can be accommodated in the reaction chamber 26, and when a voltage is applied to the electrode portion 30, a chemical reaction may be formed in the reaction chamber 26 according to the presence or absence of a biological substance in the sample. This will also be comprehensively described through the part described later for the convenience of explanation.

[0035] In one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 4, the dividing portion 20 can be formed in a structure including an outer wall 21, an inner wall 22, and a partition wall 23. First, the outer wall 21 is disposed on the outermost side of the dividing portion 20 and forms one side portion of a plurality of reaction chambers 26. As an example, as shown in the illustration, it can be formed in a circular shape having a radius corresponding to the size of the electrode portion 30.

[0036] Also, the inner wall 22 is a portion disposed inside the dividing portion 20 so as to divide the signal chamber 27. For example, it can be formed in a circular shape having a radius smaller than that of the outer wall 21. Next, the partition wall 23 can be formed to extend from the inner peripheral surface of the outer wall 21 to the outer peripheral surface of the inner wall 22 so as to divide the space between the outer wall 21 and the inner wall 22. At this time, unlike the outer wall 21 and the inner wall 22, a plurality of partition walls 23 may be arranged, and preferably, they can be arranged at equal intervals so that signal chambers 27 of the same size are formed.

[0037] As a specific example, as shown in the illustration, when the outer wall 21 and the inner wall 22 are also formed in a circular shape corresponding to the circular electrode portion 30, eight partition walls 23 are arranged at equal intervals, and eight reaction chambers 26 having the same volume are formed. In this way, when both the outer wall 21 and the inner wall 22 are formed in a circular shape, there is an advantage that all the plurality of reaction chambers 26 can be formed uniformly because they may all have the same volume and shape.

[0038] However, in the above description, the explanation has been centered around the fact that both the electrode portion 30 and the dividing portion 20 are formed in a circular shape. However, it is hereby clarified again that the shapes of the electrode portion 30 and the dividing portion 20 are not limited to this, and they can be formed in various shapes as described above.

[0039] In one embodiment of the present invention, the dividing portion 20 can be adhered and fixed to the electrode portion 30 via, for example, an adhesive or the like. Thereby, the confidentiality between the dividing portion 20 and the electrode portion 30 can be ensured, and it is possible to block the fluid (sample or reagent) accommodated in the reaction chamber 26 or the signal chamber 27 from moving to the other chamber side through the fine gap formed at the lower part of the dividing portion 20.

[0040] In one embodiment of the present invention, the electrode portion 30 is disposed below the dividing portion 20 and, together with the dividing portion 20, is a member that forms the signal chamber 27 and the reaction chamber 26 together. At this time, the electrode portion 30 includes a plurality of conductive electrodes 31, 34, and 35, so that a voltage for inducing an electrochemiluminescence signal can be applied.

[0041] Specifically, the electrode portion 30 includes a plate 39 and a plurality of electrodes 31, 34, and 35. First, the plate 39 can be formed of a known printed circuit board (PCB). At this time, the plate 39 is formed in a plate shape having a predetermined thickness and can be formed in a circular shape, for example, as shown in the drawing.

[0042] At this time, as shown in FIG. 3, the first electrode 31, the second electrode 34, and the connection electrode 35 can be disposed on one surface of the plate 39. At this time, the first electrode 31, the second electrode 34, and the connection electrode 35 are known electrodes formed of a conductive material so that electricity can flow, and can be disposed in a patterned form on the plate 39 through, for example, an electroless plating process.

[0043] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first electrode 31 is an electrode at least a part of which is disposed in the reaction chamber 26 and can function as a medium for forming electrical potential energy in the reaction chamber 26 so that a chemical reaction occurs in the reaction chamber 26.

[0044] As a specific example, as shown in FIG. 4, the first electrode 31 can include a support portion 32 extending along the outer portion of the plate 39 and a reaction portion 33 protruding in a direction from the support portion 32 toward the second electrode 34 described later.

[0045] At this time, the support portion 32 is formed in a shape corresponding to the overall shape of the electrode portion 30 and can be formed to have a single closed curve shape such as a circle or a square, as shown in the drawing. In this way, the support part 32 in a single form can be divided by the dividing part 20 into a plurality of parts corresponding to the plurality of reaction chambers 26 respectively. At this time, among the support parts 32, each part divided by the dividing part 20 can be arranged in the individual reaction chambers 26.

[0046] When a voltage is applied by the voltage application part 50 to such a support part 32, a chemical reaction including a sample is carried out, and the plurality of reaction parts 33 can be electrically connected so that all the plurality of reaction parts 33 form an equipotential.

[0047] Next, when a voltage is applied to the first electrode 31, the reaction part 33 is connected to a part of the support part 32 as a part for expanding the area of the first electrode 31 in order to induce a more active chemical reaction, and as an example, it can be formed in a circular shape as shown in FIG. 5. At this time, the reaction parts 33 are formed in a number corresponding to the number of the reaction chambers 26, and can be arranged one by one in each reaction chamber 26.

[0048] However, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the first electrode 31 having a structure including the support part 32 and the reaction part 33 is only an example, and the first electrode 31 can also be formed only by the support part 32 without the reaction part 33 as shown in FIG. 6. In this case, the chemical reaction can be sufficiently carried out on the support part 32.

[0049] In one embodiment of the present invention, a single number of second electrodes 34 can be arranged inside the signal chamber 27. At this time, the second electrode 34 can be applied with a voltage by the voltage application part 50 together with the first electrode 31. At this time, a lower potential than the first electrode 31 is formed on the second electrode 34, and thus a predetermined potential difference such as 0.4 V may occur between the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 34.

[0050] At this time, as shown in FIG. 5, the second electrode 34 can be formed in a regular polygon shape. For example, when the entire reaction chamber 26 is divided into eight parts by the dividing portion 20, the second electrode 34 can be formed to have an octagonal shape, so that uniformity can be maintained without being electrically biased toward any chamber.

[0051] Referring again to FIGS. 3 to 5, a connection electrode 35 for electrically connecting the reaction chamber 26 and the signal chamber 27 is disposed between the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 34. Therefore, as shown in the drawing, the connection electrode 35 is formed in an integrally formed structure without being physically separated, but a part 36 is disposed in the reaction chamber 26, and the other part 37 can be disposed in the signal chamber 27. That is, the connection electrode 35 can be disposed so as to pass through both the reaction chamber 26 and the signal chamber 27. In this case, the inner wall 22 of the dividing portion 20 may be disposed so as to cross the connection electrode 35.

[0052] Through such a connection electrode 35, the reaction chamber 26 and the signal chamber 27 can be electrically connected to each other while being spatially separated so that fluid cannot be exchanged by the dividing portion 20. Here, the meaning of being electrically connected means that the electrical action of one of the signal chamber 27 and the reaction chamber 26 affects the electrical action of the other chamber.

[0053] In one embodiment of the present invention, the connection electrode 35 includes a detection portion 36 disposed in the reaction chamber 26 together with the first electrode 31 and a light emitting portion 37 disposed in the signal chamber 27 together with the second electrode 34. In this regard, when a voltage is applied to the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 34, a chemical reaction is formed in the detection portion 36, and thereby, an electrochemiluminescence reaction may be formed in the light emitting portion 37, which will be described later.

[0054] At this time, a plurality of connection electrodes 35 can be arranged on the plate 39 so as to correspond to the number of reaction chambers 26. Then, as shown in the figure, the connection electrodes 35 can be arranged so that both ends are separated by a predetermined distance so that direct charge transfer cannot occur with the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 34, respectively.

[0055] Referring to FIG. 4, when a plurality of connection electrodes 35 are arranged on the plate 39, the detection portions 36 of the individual connection electrodes 35 can be arranged in any of the plurality of reaction chambers 26. Conversely, the light-emitting portions 37 can all be arranged in the signal chamber 27.

[0056] On the other hand, as an exemplary example related to the shape of the connection electrode 35, referring to FIG. 7, the detection portion 36 of the connection electrode 35 is arranged at a predetermined distance from the reaction portion 33 of the first electrode 31 and can be formed so as to surround the reaction portion 33. In the biosensor cartridge 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the detection portion 36 of the connection electrode 35 is formed so as to surround the reaction portion 33 of the first electrode 31 in this way, thereby increasing the electrode area where charge can move between the detection portion 36 and the reaction portion 33 of the first electrode 31, and the charge in the connection electrode 35 induced by the chemical reaction in the reaction portion 33 of the first electrode 31 can be induced more rapidly. As a result, the chemical reaction in the reaction chamber 26 and the electrochemiluminescence reaction in the signal chamber 27 can be linked more rapidly and accurately.

[0057] Referring to FIG. 7 again, the light-emitting portion 37 of the connection electrode 35 may be formed to have various shapes. As shown as an example, it may be formed in a pointed tip shape at the end, or may be formed in a circular shape similar to the reaction portion 33 of the first electrode 31, and may be formed to have various shapes according to the intensity and voltage of the target electrochemiluminescence signal and the sensitivity of the image sensor unit 70 described later.

[0058] However, the inventor of the present invention has observed that when the electrode portion 30 and the dividing portion 20 are formed as shown in FIG. 4 (particularly when the second electrode 34 has an octagonal shape), the most active electrochemiluminescence reaction is formed at the connection electrode 35 having a light-emitting portion 37 with a pointed tip-like structure at the end (see FIG. 8).

[0059] In summary, the connection electrode 35 can be formed to have an overall Y-shaped structure including a detection portion 36 branched at both ends and a light-emitting portion 37 extending along one direction. As a result, the biosensor cartridge 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention can maximize the interconnection between the reaction chamber 26 and the signal chamber 27 through the detection portion 36 and also optimize the electrochemiluminescence reaction in the light-emitting portion 37.

[0060] In one embodiment of the present invention, referring to FIG. 4, an insulator 38 is disposed at a portion (between the detection portion 36 and the light-emitting portion 37) where the inner wall 22 of the dividing portion 20 of the connection electrode 35 is disposed so that electricity does not pass through. By disposing the insulator 38 at the lower portion of the inner wall 22 in this way, a direct electrical connection between the reaction chamber and the signal chamber 27 is blocked, and by being electrically connected only through the connection electrode 35, the reliability of detection can be further enhanced.

[0061] FIG. 9 is a drawing schematically showing a process of pretreating a sample using magnetic beads. FIG. 10 is an explanatory drawing for explaining the spatial structure of the biosensor cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention and chemical reactions for each chamber. FIG. 11 is an explanatory drawing for explaining the spatial structure of a biosensor device to which the prior art is applied. FIG. 12 is a drawing showing the signal chamber before / after applying a voltage to the biosensor cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention, separated by sections.

[0062] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, the chemical reactions and electrochemiluminescence reactions in the reaction chamber 26 and the signal chamber 27 of the biosensor cartridge 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described.

[0063] First, before introducing the sample to the reaction chamber 26 side of the biosensor cartridge 10, a pretreatment process for the sample can be performed. That is, as shown in FIG. 9, after capturing the target contained in the sample using immunomagnetic beads, the captured target can be further labeled with an oxidase such as glucose oxidase (GOx) via a probe antibody again.

[0064] Next, the enzyme-labeled beads and a glucose solution can be introduced into the reaction chamber 26, and an electrochemiluminescence reagent (ECL reagent) such as luminol and hydrogen peroxide (luminol, H2O2) can be introduced into the signal chamber 27.

[0065] Thereafter, when a voltage is applied to the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 34 by the voltage application unit 50, the following chemical reactions may be formed in the reaction chamber 26 (see FIG. 10). - First electrode (positive electrode): Glucose + O2 → Gluconic acid + H2O2 (GOx, high ancestor reaction), H2O2 → O2 + 2H+ + 2e- - Detection part of the connection electrode (negative electrode): 1 / 2O2 + 2H+ + 2e- → H2O At this time, in the reaction chamber 26, hydrogen peroxide is generated by the enzymatic reaction of the oxidase (GOx) of the enzyme-labeled beads and glucose, and the generated hydrogen peroxide is oxidized at the first electrode 31. Then, at the detection part 36 of the connection electrode 35, oxygen and hydrogen are reduced. At this time, the number of electrons participating in the reaction is the same as the number of electrons participating in the reaction in the signal chamber 27.

[0066] Due to the chemical reaction in the reaction chamber 26 described above, the following chemical reaction may be induced in the signal chamber 27. - Luminescent part of the connection electrode (positive electrode): Luminol + H2O2 → O2 + 2H+ + N2 + 2e- * , 3-AP * , 3-AP * → 3-AP + hλ - Second electrode (negative electrode): 1 / 2O2 + 2H+ + 2e- → H2O At this time, in the light-emitting portion 37 of the signal chamber 27, an electrochemiluminescence reaction is induced in which a chemical substance such as luminol or Ru(bpy) directly emits light based on the movement of electrons due to the chemical reaction induced in the reaction chamber 26. Therefore, the number of photons generated varies depending on the type and degree of the reaction occurring in the plurality of reaction chambers 26, and the intensity of the light changes.

[0067] In summary, when a voltage is applied to the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 34, the enzyme-labeled beads promote a redox reaction in the reaction chamber 26, thereby generating an electrochemiluminescence reaction in the signal chamber 27. At this time, the intensity of the electrochemiluminescence reaction in the signal chamber 27 is proportional to the concentration of the target protein. That is, as shown in FIG. 12, the light-emitting portion 37 that did not emit light before the voltage was applied to the electrode portion 30 forms an electrochemiluminescence reaction of different intensities depending on the concentration of the target protein contained in each reaction chamber 26 after the voltage is applied.

[0068] As described above, the biosensor cartridge 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention spatially separates the reaction chamber 26 in which the first chemical reaction is formed and the signal chamber 27 in which the electrochemiluminescence reaction is formed via the dividing portion 20, so that each process can be performed under optimal reaction conditions for each of the chambers 26 and 27 without crosstalk, and based on this, an improved detection sensitivity can be achieved.

[0069] More specifically, the oxidase (GOx) exhibits effective enzyme activity at neutral pH, while an electrochemiluminescence reagent (ECL reagent) such as luminol has an increased solubility at a basic pH of 10 or higher. Thus, the chemical reactions in the reaction chamber 26 and the signal chamber 27 can have different optimal pH values. Considering this point, the biosensor cartridge 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention can achieve a high signal-to-background noise ratio by forming optimal reaction conditions individually for both chambers 26 and 27.

[0070] However, if, as shown in FIG. 11, the signal chamber and the reaction chamber exist in a state where they are not spatially separated from each other, it is impossible to form reaction conditions that can optimize both reactions. That is, in this case, it is only possible to form reaction conditions corresponding to an intermediate value between the two optimal conditions described above, such as pH 8.5. Therefore, in the case of a single-chamber structure, a high level of signal-to-background noise ratio as in the present invention cannot be expected.

[0071] On the other hand, it can be seen that the pretreatment process or the reagents introduced into each chamber described above are only exemplary, and the application of the present invention is not limited to the above examples. That is, the designer can variously select a pretreatment process and reagents optimized according to the desired biological substance.

[0072] In the plurality of reaction chambers 26 of the biosensor cartridge 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, different types of samples can be introduced respectively. For example, when the biosensor cartridge 10 includes eight reaction chambers 26, eight samples collected from eight different individuals can be introduced into each chamber. Although different samples are introduced into their respective chambers in this way, all the light-emitting portions 37 that notify the detection results of the target substances contained in the samples are arranged in a single signal chamber 27.

[0073] Thereby, the biosensor cartridge 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention has the advantage that while simultaneously proceeding with the inspections of a plurality of individuals, the results can be simultaneously confirmed only by photographing a single signal chamber 27, and the detection speed can be significantly improved even with a small device.

[0074] Hereinafter, a biosensor device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a biosensor device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the above-described biosensor cartridge 10, a main body portion 40, a voltage application portion 50, and an image sensor portion 70.

[0075] First, as shown in FIG. 1, the main body 40 is a member to which the biosensor cartridge 10 is attached and can stably support the biosensor cartridge 10. For this purpose, a housing space 41 is formed inside the main body 40 so that the biosensor cartridge 10 can be inserted. Further, an insertion groove 42 of a corresponding size can be formed on one side of the housing space 41 of the main body 40 so that the insertion protrusion 25 protruding outward from the dividing portion 20 of the biosensor cartridge 10 can be inserted and fixed thereto.

[0076] Next, in the housing space 41 of the main body 40, a voltage application unit 50 for applying a voltage to the electrode unit 30 side of the biosensor cartridge 10 attached to the housing space 41 is arranged. At this time, the voltage application unit 50 is electrically connected to the contact electrode 31a formed on the back side of the electrode unit 30 via a terminal member such as a known exposed electrode, a spring electrode, or a Pogo Pin.

[0077] On the other hand, in the housing space 41, at a position corresponding to the reaction chamber 26 of the electrode unit 30, a magnetic force application member 60 for applying a magnetic force to the magnetic beads in the reaction chamber 26 can be provided. At this time, the magnetic force application member 60 is arranged adjacent to the first electrode 31, so that a gravitational force is applied so that the magnetic beads are located on the first electrode 31, improving the density of the magnetic beads located on the first electrode 31 and inducing a more active chemical reaction.

[0078] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, an image sensor unit 70 for photographing the electrochemiluminescence signal generated in the signal chamber 27 is arranged above the biosensor cartridge 10. At this time, the image sensor unit 70 can be formed of a known image sensor such as a camera, an integrated circuit such as a charge-coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS), or a photomultiplier tube (PMT).

[0079] On the one hand, when additional detection is required, the aforementioned biosensor cartridge 10 can be formed as disposable so that it can be immediately and repeatedly replaced. As a result, the time required for detection can be significantly shortened.

[0080] As described above, the biosensor cartridge 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention can obtain highly sensitive detection results through spatial separation via the dividing portion 20. In addition, the biosensor cartridge 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of reaction chambers 26 so that a plurality of samples can be diagnosed simultaneously. However, a plurality of light-emitting portions 37 are arranged in a single signal chamber 27 so that the detection results can be confirmed all at once, thereby significantly improving the diagnostic speed. On the other hand, the biosensor device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can be driven only by a device that is significantly smaller in size compared to conventional expensive devices, and has the advantage of being easily popularized on-site.

[0081] Therefore, the biosensor device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can be effectively used for the early diagnosis of severe diseases including sepsis or COVID-19 that require rapid diagnosis but also require expensive devices and frequent diagnosis on-site.

[0082] As described above, an embodiment of the present invention has been described. However, the idea of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments presented in this specification. Those skilled in the art who understand the idea of the present invention can easily propose other embodiments by adding, changing, deleting, or adding components within the scope of the same idea, and this is also said to be within the scope of the spirit of the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0083] 10 Biosensor Cartridge 20 Dividing Portion 30 Electrode Portion 40 Main Body Portion 50 Voltage Application Portion 60 Magnetic Force Application Member 70 Image Sensor Portion 100 Biosensor device

Claims

1. A biosensor cartridge that detects a biological substance and generates an electrochemiluminescence signal, comprising: an electrode part including a plurality of electrodes, and a dividing part disposed on the electrode part so as to divide the entire space provided on the electrode part into a signal chamber and N reaction chambers surrounding the signal chamber, wherein the electrode part includes a first electrode at least a part of which is disposed in the reaction chamber, a second electrode disposed in the signal chamber, and N connection electrodes disposed so as to electrically interlock the chemical reaction in the reaction chamber and the electrochemiluminescence signal generated in the signal chamber, the biosensor cartridge.

2. The biosensor cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the connection electrode is integrally formed including a detection part disposed in the reaction chamber and a light-emitting part disposed in the signal chamber.

3. The detection part of the connection electrode is formed so as to surround at least a part of the first electrode while being spaced apart from the first electrode by a predetermined distance, The biosensor cartridge according to claim 2, wherein the light-emitting part of the connection electrode is disposed so as to face the second electrode and is formed to have a pointed end shape.

4. The biosensor cartridge according to claim 3, wherein the connection electrode is formed to have an overall Y shape.

5. The electrode part is formed in a circular shape, The biosensor cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the dividing part is formed such that an outer wall thereof is circular so as to correspond to the shape of the electrode part.

6. The dividing part includes an outer wall disposed on the outermost side of the dividing part and forming one side part of the N reaction chambers, an inner wall disposed inside the outer wall and dividing the signal chamber, and partition walls extending from the inner peripheral surface of the outer wall to the outer peripheral surface of the inner wall and spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the inner wall, the biosensor cartridge according to claim 1.

7. The outer wall and the inner wall are formed in a circular shape, The biosensor cartridge according to claim 6, wherein eight of the partition walls are arranged at equal intervals so that eight reaction chambers are formed between the inner wall and the outer wall.

8. The biosensor cartridge according to claim 7, wherein the second electrode is formed to have an octagonal shape.

9. The biosensor cartridge according to claim 6, wherein the inner wall is disposed so as to cross the N connection electrodes, and an insulator is disposed in a portion of the N connection electrodes where the inner wall is disposed.

10. The biosensor cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode is formed in a single closed curve shape and includes a support portion divided into N portions by the dividing portion.

11. The biosensor cartridge according to claim 10, wherein the support portion is formed in a circular shape centered on the second electrode.

12. The first electrode further includes N reaction portions formed to protrude in a direction from the support portion toward the second electrode, The biosensor cartridge according to claim 10, wherein the N reaction portions are respectively disposed one by one in the N reaction chambers.

13. The reaction portion is formed in a circular shape, The biosensor cartridge according to claim 12, wherein one end portion of the connection electrode is formed so as to surround the reaction portion while being separated from the reaction portion by a predetermined distance.

14. The biosensor cartridge according to claim 1, wherein different samples collected from different individuals are respectively introduced into the N reaction chambers.

15. The biosensor cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the same sample collected from the same individual is introduced into the N reaction chambers, and different detection reagents are respectively introduced to detect a plurality of biological substances in the same sample.

16. The biological substance means a substance for sensing the presence or absence of infection of an infectious disease, a metabolic disease, an immune disease, or cancer onset, and is at least one of DNA, RNA, protein, metabolite, and extracellular vesicle. The biosensor cartridge according to claim 1.

17. A biosensor cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 16, A main body portion in which an accommodation space is formed to accommodate the biosensor cartridge, A voltage application unit disposed on the accommodation space side of the main body portion and applying a voltage to the electrode portion side of the biosensor cartridge, and An image sensor unit that captures the electrochemiluminescence signal generated in the second chamber of the biosensor cartridge, A biosensor device including.

18. The biosensor cartridge of the biosensor device according to claim 17, which is formed as disposable.

19. The dividing part includes at least one insertion protrusion formed to protrude outwardly in part. The biosensor device according to claim 17, wherein the main body part has at least one insertion groove formed at a position corresponding to the insertion protrusion so that the insertion protrusion is inserted and fixed therein.

20. The biosensor device according to claim 17, further comprising a magnetic force applying member disposed at a position corresponding to the reaction chamber in the accommodation space of the main body so as to apply a magnetic force to the reaction chamber side.

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