Analyte sensing device
View Patent ↗Analyte sensing devices suitable for measuring pH or other analytes are provided in a variety of form factors, including a hand-held device.
1. A hand-held analyte sensing device comprising a working electrode, a reference electrode, and a counter electrode, said working electrode, said reference electrode, and said counter electrode being concentrically arranged in a coplanar configuration;
a first insulating material interposed between said working electrode and said reference electrode, said first insulating material separating said working electrode from said reference electrode;
a second insulating material interposed between said working electrode and said counter electrode, said second insulating material separating said working electrode from said counter electrode;
firmware and electronics operably coupled to the working electrode, the reference electrode, and the counter electrode for voltammetry and signal processing, and further comprising a display and controls for operating the device; and
an internal working electrode positioned behind the reference electrode and separated from the reference electrode by a buffer solution.
2. The device of claim 1 with transmission capability.
3. The device of claim 1 with a temperature sensor.
4. The device of claim 1 that comprises a sensor cartridge connected mechanically and electrically to a head unit.
5. The device of claim 4 , wherein said sensor cartridge comprises the working electrode, reference electrode, counter electrode, and a temperature sensor arranged in a cluster.
6. The device of claim 5 , wherein said sensor cartridge comprises circuitry for signal processing.
7. The device of claim 5 , wherein said sensor cartridge is contained in a flexible conduit.
8. The device of claim 4 , wherein said head unit comprises electronic components for signal processing and information display through a user interface.
9. The device of claim 8 , wherein said head unit has data transmission capability.
10. The device of claim 1 , wherein said firmware can perform a seek scan at a low resolution over a wide voltage range and to determine an approximate location of a current peak, and once the approximate location is identified, can perform one or more track scans at a higher resolution and narrower voltage range than that of the seek scan to identify the current peak precisely.
11. The device of claim 1 , that has two control buttons, one for powering the device on or off and the other to initiate an analyte sensing operation.
12. The device of claim 1 , wherein said firmware can perform a sensor check and automatically correct for a change in the reference electrode.
13. The device of claim 1 , wherein said firmware can perform a sensor check and inform a user if the device is functioning improperly.
14. The device of claim 1 , wherein said working electrode comprises an immobilized analyte sensitive material.
15. The device of claim 1 , wherein said reference electrode comprises a modified silver/silver chloride couple and a nonporous reference junction.
16. The device of claim 1 , wherein said reference electrode is an analyte-insensitive electrode.
17. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a pseudo reference electrode having a distal end in communication with the buffer solution; and
a third insulating material interposed between said internal working electrode and said pseudo reference electrode, said third insulating material separating said internal working electrode from said pseudo reference electrode.