Biosensor Capillary Groove for Thick SAW Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional biosensors using surface acoustic wave devices lack a mechanism to suction liquid analytes, requiring external equipment for specimen feeding, which complicates the measurement process and increases the apparatus size, while biosensors with enzyme-coated electrodes are limited in test items and unsuitable for thick detection elements.
Innovation Solution
A biosensor design incorporating a first cover member with an element-accommodating recess and a second cover member featuring an inflow port and groove, allowing analyte suction by capillary action, even with thick detection elements, thereby integrating a suction mechanism within the biosensor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a surface acoustic wave device is used as the detection element, then multiple detection formats can be handled and measurement versatility is improved, but the detection element has certain thickness which blocks the specimen supply channel and makes it difficult to feed the specimen solution to the detection unit
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a vertical dimension by creating a groove structure that goes beneath the detection element. The specimen supply channel is formed in the substrate and extends under the detection element to reach the detection unit, allowing the channel to pass through the thick detection element without being blocked. This dimensional approach resolves the contradiction by routing the channel in a different spatial path.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the specimen supply path into multiple sections: an upper channel portion, a groove portion beneath the detection element, and a lower channel portion. This segmentation allows each section to serve its specific function - the upper and lower channels guide the specimen, while the groove provides a dedicated passage under the detection element, enabling the thick detection element to coexist with the specimen supply channel.
2Ease of operation
If a reagent including an enzyme is coated on a measurement electrode, then the biosensor can suction specimens by capillary action itself, but the test items that can be measured are limited and it is inconvenient for testing multiple items
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the detection element (surface acoustic wave device) serve multiple functions: it acts as both the detection unit for various analytes and as part of the specimen supply channel structure. The groove formed in the substrate serves dual purposes - as a structural element for the channel and as a pathway for specimen flow. This multi-functionality allows the same structure to support both capillary suction and versatile detection of multiple test items.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces the groove structure as an intermediary element that mediates between the specimen supply channel and the detection unit. This groove allows the specimen to reach the detection unit beneath the detection element without requiring enzyme coating on the electrode, thereby enabling both capillary suction capability and compatibility with thick detection elements for multiple test items.
3Ease of operation
If external equipment such as a micropipette is used to suction the specimen, then the specimen can be fed to the detection unit, but the measurement procedures become cumbersome and the scale of the overall measurement apparatus increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the biosensor to perform specimen suction by itself through capillary action. The groove structure formed in the substrate creates a capillary channel that automatically draws the specimen toward the detection unit without requiring external micropipettes or other suction equipment. This self-service capability eliminates the need for additional apparatus and simplifies the measurement procedure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the suction function from external equipment and integrates it into the biosensor structure itself. By forming the specimen supply channel and groove directly in the substrate, the suction capability is built into the device, removing the need for separate micropipette equipment and reducing the overall apparatus scale.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables easy and precise measurement by securing the analyte solution channel from the inflow port to the detection unit, eliminating the need for external suction equipment and accommodating thick detection elements, thus simplifying the measurement process and expanding test item capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
a groove extending from the inflow port to at least above the detection unit... allowing analyte suction by capillary action
Data Source
AI summary
A biosensor, including: a first cover member comprising an element-accommodating recess in an upper face thereof; a detection element using a surface acoustic wave, the detection element including an element substrate accommodated in the element-accommodating recess, and at least one detection unit located on an upper face of the element substrate configured to perform detection of an analyte; and a second cover member joined to the first cover member and covering the detection element, and including an inflow port from which the analyte flows in and a groove which extends from the inflow port to at least above the at least one detection unit and constitutes a capillary.