Electrochemical Sensor Strip Porous Plug Blood Cell Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrochemical sensor strips face challenges in achieving accurate and rapid detection of analytes, particularly with small blood samples, due to interference from red blood cells, which require additional pressure and longer processing times, and have complex designs that increase production costs and time.
Innovation Solution
An electrochemical sensor strip design featuring a housing with an upstream recessed region and a filter made of porous material extending into the sample receiving space, allowing for efficient separation of blood cells and rapid fluid flow, reducing the need for multiple filter layers and pressurization, and enabling quicker detection with a tapered configuration that minimizes fluid volume requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a membrane filter is used to separate blood cells from blood plasma, then detection accuracy is improved, but the amount of filtrate produced is small and longer time is needed for detection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a porous plug made of porous material (such as porous glass or ceramic) instead of a membrane filter. The porous structure provides larger pore volume and better fluid permeability, allowing blood plasma to pass through more quickly while still effectively retaining red blood cells. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining detection accuracy through cell separation while significantly reducing detection time through improved fluid flow characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the filtering structure by using a porous plug with specific pore size, porosity, and surface area characteristics. By optimizing these parameters, the plug achieves both effective blood cell retention and rapid plasma filtration, thereby improving detection speed without sacrificing accuracy.
2Measurement precision
If pressure is applied to filter out blood cells completely, then separation efficiency is improved, but homolysis occurs resulting in inaccurate results
Solution Approach 1:
The porous plug provides a large surface area and high porosity that enables effective blood cell separation under minimal pressure conditions. The optimized pore structure allows plasma to pass through readily while retaining cells, achieving complete separation without applying excessive pressure that would cause red blood cell homolysis and inaccurate results.
3Measurement precision
If multiple spaced apart obstructions are disposed in fluid passage for removing red blood cells, then cell separation is improved, but larger space is required and more blood is needed
Solution Approach 1:
The porous plug consolidates the function of multiple spaced obstructions into a single compact component. The porous structure provides extensive filtering surface area within a small volume, enabling effective red blood cell separation without requiring large device space or large amounts of blood sample. This resolves the contradiction by achieving complete cell separation with minimal blood volume requirement.
4Speed
If the filter cross-sectional area is increased to enable quick plasma flow, then flow rate is improved, but filter size increases requiring more fluid amount
Solution Approach 1:
The porous plug achieves high flow rate through optimized porosity and pore size rather than increasing overall filter size. The porous structure allows rapid plasma permeation while maintaining a compact form factor that does not require excessive fluid volume for operation. This resolves the contradiction by enabling quick plasma flow with minimal fluid amount requirement.
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 design enhances detection speed and accuracy, reduces the amount of fluid needed, and simplifies manufacturing, providing improved quantitative detection performance for analytes by efficiently separating interfering matter and facilitating quicker electrochemical reactions.
Implementation Method 1
a filter (6) made of a material having a porous structure and extending into the sample receiving space (301) from the opening (302) and through the sample passage (303)
Implementation Method 2
a tapered configuration that minimizes fluid volume requirements
Data Source
AI summary
An electrochemical sensor strip includes an electrode support and a cover plate, which cooperatively defines a sample receiving space, an opening, and a sample passage. The electrode support has a downstream recessed region defining the sample receiving space and formed with a plurality of through holes. Electrodes are disposed respectively in the through holes. At least one of the electrodes has a lowered top surface that is lowered relative to a surface of the downstream recessed region to define a shallow space. A filter extends into the sample receiving space from the opening and through the sample passage and covers a portion of a reaction reagent layer. The reaction reagent layer extends into the shallow space. The filter extends above the shallow space and the electrode.