Implantable Glucose Sensor Electrodes for Interferent Rejection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing analyte sensors face challenges in accurately determining glucose concentration due to interference from redox active substances in body fluids, leading to overestimation or underestimation of glucose levels.
Innovation Solution
The analyte sensor employs a working electrode with an enzyme layer and an adjacent interferent electrode devoid of enzyme, separated electrically, to reduce or eliminate interferents, allowing precise glucose concentration determination without additional calculation steps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a working electrode with enzyme layer is used to detect glucose, then glucose concentration can be determined, but redox active substances in body fluid interfere with measurement causing overestimation or underestimation
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor is divided into functionally distinct electrodes: a working electrode with enzyme layer for glucose detection and an interferent electrode without enzyme for detecting interfering substances. This segmentation allows separate measurement of glucose signal and interferent signal, which can then be differentiated to achieve accurate glucose determination despite the presence of interferents in body fluid.
Solution Approach 2:
The interferent electrode acts as an intermediary that specifically measures the contribution of redox active interferents to the total current. By measuring the interferent signal separately at this electrode (which lacks enzyme and thus only responds to interferents), the system can subtract this interferent contribution from the working electrode signal to obtain accurate glucose concentration.
2Measurement precision
If additional membranes and calculation steps are used to eliminate interferent interference, then measurement accuracy improves, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of adding complex membrane structures or multiple processing steps, the invention segments the electrochemical measurement function across two simple electrodes. The working electrode provides total current (glucose + interferents) while the interferent electrode provides interferent current only. This functional segmentation achieves interferent elimination through a simple parallel electrode architecture rather than complex membranes or calculations.
Solution Approach 2:
The interferent electrode serves itself by automatically measuring the interferent contribution without requiring external intervention. The system self-corrects for interferent interference by using the interferent electrode's measurement to adjust the working electrode signal, eliminating the need for complex external calibration or correction procedures.
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 sensor provides accurate glucose measurements by minimizing interferent interference, reducing the need for additional membranes and calculation steps, thus being cost-effective and efficient.
Implementation Method 1
the working electrode further comprises at least one enzyme
Implementation Method 2
support an oxidation of the analyte in the body fluid
Implementation Method 3
each of the working electrode and the interferent electrode comprises a layer of a conductive material
Implementation Method 4
the analyte sensor comprises an electrochemical cell having at least a working electrode and a counter electrode
Data Source
AI summary
A fully or partially implantable analyte sensor for continuously monitoring analyte concentration in a body fluid has a substrate with a first surface configured to face towards the body fluid. The sensor has a working electrode and an interferent electrode. The interferent electrode and the working electrode are electrically separated layers located adjacently on the first surface. The sensor has a further electrode, the further electrode being a counter electrode, a reference electrode or a counter/reference electrode. The working electrode and the interferent electrode each have a layer of a conductive material. The working electrode has an enzyme whereas the interferent electrode is devoid of enzyme. A method for producing the fully or partially implantable analyte sensor for continuously monitoring analyte concentration in a body fluid is also disclosed.