Flexible Electrochemical Micro-Sensor for Continuous Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current biosensors and environmental sensors are costly, complex, and disjointed due to the need for specific manufacturing processes across semiconductor, biochemistry, and packaging industries, and existing in-situ monitoring systems are cumbersome and prone to errors in dosing.
Innovation Solution
A universal electrochemical fluid micro-sensor is developed, which is flexible and can be used as either a biosensor or environmental sensor, configured with different reagents for glucose monitoring, virus detection, cardiac markers, or environmental measurements, featuring a flexible backing and electrodes that form a reservoir with the reagent, allowing for continuous use and easy assembly with a simplified fabrication process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional biosensor manufacturing processes are used (involving semiconductor, biochemistry, and packaging industries), then manufacturing precision and reliability are improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the semiconductor fabrication process, biochemistry reagent integration, and packaging into a single unified manufacturing process. The flexible substrate with electrodes and reagents is fabricated as one integrated component, eliminating the need for separate processes from different industries and reducing overall system complexity while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent develops a universal manufacturing process that can produce both biosensors and environmental sensors using the same fabrication techniques. The flexible electrochemical sensor platform can be configured with different reagents for various applications, allowing a single manufacturing line to serve multiple functions and reduce complexity across the industry.
2Ease of operation
If chemical reagent is kept in liquid form for easy handling, then ease of operation is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to the need for cross-linking into solid form
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameter of the chemical reagent from liquid to solid through cross-linking, but does so in a controlled manner during the fabrication process. The reagent is applied in liquid form for ease of handling, then cross-linked in-situ to form a solid gel that maintains the desired shape and position, achieving both ease of operation and manufacturing precision.
3Measurement precision
If transdermal patch is used for in-situ monitoring, then measurement precision and convenience are improved, but device complexity and potential for dosing errors increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs disposable flexible electrochemical sensors that are used for continuous monitoring and then discarded. This eliminates the need for complex reusable systems with multiple components (needles, patches, reloading mechanisms), reducing device complexity while maintaining measurement precision through dedicated single-use sensor design.
4Stability of the object's composition
If biosensor strip is made semi-rigid for structural stability, then stability is improved, but flexibility and ease of operation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible substrate (such as flexible printed circuit board or thin polymer film) to construct the sensor strip. This flexible construction provides sufficient structural stability for handling and manufacturing while enabling easy application to various surfaces and conforming to irregular shapes, significantly improving ease of operation compared to semi-rigid strips.
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
The universal micro-sensor reduces manufacturing costs and complexity, provides a more convenient and accurate monitoring solution, and is suitable for both biomedical and environmental applications with a flexible design that eliminates the need for cross-linking reagents and simplifies the assembly process.
Implementation Method 1
The electrolytic chemical reagent 86 conducts a current that is proportional to an amount of glucose in the blood
Data Source
AI summary
A universal electrochemical micro-sensor can be used either as a biosensor or an environmental sensor. Because of its small size and flexibility, the micro-sensor is suitable for continuous use to monitor fluids within a live subject, or as an environmental monitor. The micro-sensor can be formed on a reusable glass carrier substrate. A flexible polymer backing, together with a set of electrodes, forms a reservoir that contains an electrolytic fluid chemical reagent. During fabrication, the glass carrier substrate protects the fluid chemical reagent from degradation. A conductive micromesh further contains the reagent while allowing partial exposure to the ambient biological or atmospheric environment. The micromesh density can be altered to accommodate fluid reagents having different viscosities. Flexibility is achieved by attaching a thick polymer tape and peeling away the micro-sensor from the glass carrier substrate. The final structure is thereby transferred to the polymer tape, providing a flexible product.