File Last modified on: Thu Oct 04, 2012 14:58:37
 
Portable Lab-on-a-Chip Biosensor
 

An electrical conductance-based biosensor that can be used to measure the concentration of biomolecules such as blood sugar, haemoglobin, cholesterol, urine sugar levels, soil urea in agriculture and fat levels in food.

Components of the unit:

  • separated pair of electrodes located in an electrically inert insulating matrix with an electronically conducting polymer bridge deposited across the electrodes
  • individual sensor set up with one enzyme/receptor (specific to the biomolecule being measured) that is immobilised in the array
  • conductance measuring circuit connected to the electrode array
A reference sensor (that is, without the immobilised enzyme) can also be attached which would help to compare biomolecule levels among the samples to be tested. Biosensors constructed in this manner can be integrated into one unit, but are able to sense multiple analytes and give accurate results.

Benefits:

  • cost effective
  • compact and portable (.lab-on-a-chip. devices)
  • allow digitised inputs
  • outputs are computer compatible for quantitative analysis
  • enables on-the-spot sample testing
  • products can be easily enhanced to simultaneously test for several parameters

Inventors: A. Q. Contractor, Department of Chemistry
Patent granted (Application number: 89/BOM/94, grant number: 179848)