Porous Membrane Sensor Surface for Crosslink-Free Particle Immobilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current biosensor construction methods are complex, require specific fluid and surface properties, and involve chemical crosslinking, making them costly and inefficient for detecting and measuring biological and chemical activities in complex fluids.
Innovation Solution
A method and system using a porous membrane with pores smaller than sensing particles to immobilize and concentrate sensing particles on a surface, allowing for simplified construction of biosensor surfaces without chemical crosslinking, enabling detection and measurement of biological and chemical activities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If printing technologies and surface chemistries are used to fix and mount biosensors on sensor surfaces, then biosensors can be immobilized on surfaces, but the process becomes complex and requires specific fluid and surface properties matching printer requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the biosensors from their original suspension medium and transfers them directly onto the membrane surface through filtration, eliminating the need for printing technologies and complex surface chemistry modifications. The membrane physically captures biosensors in their native state, simplifying the immobilization process while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a porous membrane with controlled pore sizes to physically trap and immobilize biosensors on the membrane surface through filtration. This porous structure allows direct immobilization without requiring surface chemistry modifications or printing technologies, thereby reducing device complexity while ensuring reliable biosensor attachment
2Reliability
If chemical crosslinking is applied to fix biosensors on surfaces, then biosensors are securely immobilized, but the process becomes costly and requires additional chemical reagents and steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the need for chemical crosslinking reagents and associated costs by using physical filtration through porous membranes. Biosensors are immobilized directly on the membrane surface through size-based exclusion, eliminating expensive chemical steps while maintaining secure immobilization
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs disposable porous membranes with standardized pore sizes that can be used directly for biosensor immobilization without requiring expensive chemical crosslinking kits. This approach reduces manufacturing costs by replacing costly chemical reagents with affordable, single-use filtration membranes
3Reliability
If porous membranes with small pore sizes are used to immobilize sensing particles, then particles are physically confined and concentrated on the membrane surface, but the membrane pore size must be precisely controlled
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes parameter changes in membrane pore size to achieve effective particle confinement. By selecting membranes with pore sizes slightly smaller than the biosensor dimensions, the system achieves reliable physical confinement and surface concentration without requiring extremely precise pore size control, as the size differential provides a robust confinement mechanism
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
Facilitates the formation of biosensor surfaces in a simplified and cost-effective manner, allowing for parallel sensing of multiple analytes with high precision and control, while avoiding chemical crosslinking and printer requirements.
Implementation Method 1
pushing the buffer fluid through the membrane to immobilize and/or to concentrate the sensing particle on the first surface of the membrane
Implementation Method 2
a physical confinement is facilitated by separating the sensing particles, especially whole-cell biosensor cells, from the sample fluid
Implementation Method 3
pushing the buffer fluid through the membrane to immobilize and/or to concentrate the sensing particle on the first surface of the membrane
Data Source
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AI summary
A method (100) for constructing a sensor surface, the method comprises a step of providing (101) a buffer fluid comprising at least one sensing particle. In addition, the method further comprises a step of providing (102) a membrane comprising a plurality of pores, each of the plurality of pores has a pore size smaller than the sensing particle. In addition, the method comprises a step of the arranging (103) the membrane in relation to the buffer fluid such that a first surface of the membrane being in fluidic contact with the buffer fluid. Moreover, the method comprises a step of pushing (104) the buffer fluid through the membrane to immobilize the sensing particle on the first surface of the membrane.