Abstract: The present invention relates to diagnostic devices incorporating electrode modules and fluidics for performing chemical analyzes. The invented devices consist of at least one component sensor formed on an electrode module, the sensor being contained within a fluidic housing. The electrode module is a laminate of a perforated epoxy foil and a photo-formed metal foil with sensor membranes deposited into the perforations. The fluidic housing is a diagnostic card consisting of a plastic card-like body, the at least one component sensor, a sealed chamber defined in the card body for containing a fluid, a fluid conduit for fluidically connecting the chamber with the sensor region, a valve for fluidically connecting the chamber to the fluid conduit, and a delivery structure separate and distinct from the valve for forcing fluid from the chamber and into the fluid conduit.

Abstract: The present invention relates to diagnostic devices incorporating electrode modules and fluidics for performing chemical analyzes. The invented devices consist of at least one component sensor formed on an electrode module, the sensor being contained within a fluidic housing. The electrode module is a laminate of a perforated epoxy foil and a photo-formed metal foil with sensor membranes deposited into the perforations. The fluidic housing is a diagnostic card consisting of a plastic card-like body, the at least one component sensor, a sealed chamber defined in the card body for containing a fluid, a fluid conduit for fluidically connecting the chamber with the sensor region, a valve for fluidically connecting the chamber to the fluid conduit, and a delivery structure separate and distinct from the valve for forcing fluid from the chamber and into the fluid conduit.

Abstract: The present invention relates to diagnostic devices incorporating electrode modules and fluidics for performing chemical analyses. The invented devices consist of a sensor array formed on an electrode module, the sensor array being contained within a fluidic housing. The electrode module is a laminate of a perforated epoxy foil and a photo-formed metal foil with sensor membranes deposited into the perforations. The fluidic housing is an element consisting of a plastic card-like body with fluidic conduits and a sealed fluid reservoir contained in a foil-lined cavity.

Abstract: Devices with lateral flow elements and integral fluidics are disclosed. The integral fluidics consist of injector pumps comprised of fluidic elements under instrument control. The fluidic element of an injector pump is fluidically connected to lateral flow elements and can be used to control fluid entry into containment chambers referred to as micro-reactors. The lateral flow elements comprise conductor elements that can be used for sample application and transport of analyte contained in the sample to the micro-reactor. Fluidic transport through the fluidic element of the injector pump is under instrument-control. Both the lateral flow element and the fluidic element may contain chemical entities incorporated along their length. The chemical reactions that can be used for analyte detection using the devices are described. Also described are methods of manufacture of these devices.

Abstract: The present invention relates to diagnostic devices incorporating electrode modules and fluidics for performing chemical analyses. The invented devices consist of a sensor array formed on an electrode module, the sensor array being contained within a fluidic housing. The electrode module is a laminate of a perforated epoxy foil and a photo-formed metal foil with sensor membranes deposited into the perforations. The fluidic housing is an element consisting of a plastic card-like body with fluidic conduits and a sealed fluid reservoir contained in a foil-lined cavity.

Abstract: The present invention relates to diagnostic devices incorporating electrode modules and fluidics for performing chemical analyses. The invented devices consist of a sensor array formed on an electrode module, the sensor array being contained within a fluidic housing. The electrode module is a laminate of a perforated epoxy foil and a photo-formed metal foil with sensor membranes deposited into the perforations. The fluidic housing is an element consisting of a plastic card-like body with fluidic conduits and a sealed fluid reservoir contained in a foil-lined cavity.

Abstract: A chip-carrier module known from smart card technology is adapted as an electrode array for use in disposable sensing or separation devices containing electrodes. The electrodes are manufactured directly onto chip-carrier module. The preferred electrode module includes a chip-carrier module and at least one electrode formed thereon, the chip-carrier module being a laminate of a metal foil and an insulator foil, which metal foil is divided into at least two conductor regions, the insulator foil having a perforation over each conductor region, and the at least one electrode being formed by a membrane layer applied to the insulating foil to extend through one of the perforations for electrical contact with the conductor region associated therewith, the membrane layer imparting chemical sensitivity to the electrode. The result is an electrode module for use in disposable sensing or separation devices containing electrodes, whose unit cost of manufacture is low even at modest manufacturing volume.

Abstract: The present invention relates to planar electrochemical sensors with membrane coatings used to perform chemical analyses. The object of this invention is to provide unit-use disposable sensors of very simple and inexpensive construction, preferably with only a single membrane coating on an electrode. The invented devices are potentiometric salt-bridge reference electrodes and dissolved gas sensors constructed with a heterogeneous membrane coating of a conductor. The heterogeneous membrane, which is an intimate admixture of a hydrophobic and a hydrophilic compartment, concurrently supports constrained transport of non-volatile species through its hydrophilic compartment and rapid gas and water vapor transport through its hydrophobic compartment.

Abstract: Devices with lateral flow elements and integral fluidics are disclosed. The integral fluidics consist of injector pumps comprised of fluidic elements under instrument control. The fluidic element of an injector pump is fluidically connected to lateral flow elements and can be used to control fluid entry into containment chambers referred to as micro-reactors. The lateral flow elements comprise conductor elements that can be used for sample application and transport of analyte contained in the sample to the micro-reactor. Fluidic transport through the fluidic element of the injector pump is under instrument-control. Both the lateral flow element and the fluidic element may contain chemical entities incorporated along their length. The chemical reactions that can be used for analyte detection using the devices are described. Also described are methods of manufacture of these devices.

Abstract: The present invention relates to planar electrochemical sensors with membrane coatings used to perform chemical analyses. The object of this invention is to provide unit-use disposable sensors of very simple and inexpensive construction, preferably with only a single membrane coating on an electrode. The invented devices are potentiometric salt-bridge reference electrodes and dissolved gas sensors constructed with a heterogeneous membrane coating of a conductor. The heterogeneous membrane, which is an intimate admixture of a hydrophobic and a hydrophilic compartment, concurrently supports constrained transport of non-volatile species through its hydrophilic compartment and rapid gas and water vapor transport through its hydrophobic compartment.

Abstract: Devices with lateral flow elements and integral fluidics are disclosed. The integral fluidics consist of injector pumps comprised of fluidic elements under instrument control. The fluidic element of an injector pump is fluidically connected to lateral flow elements and can be used to control fluid entry into containment chambers referred to as micro-reactors. The lateral flow elements comprise conductor elements that can be used for sample application and transport of analyte contained in the sample to the micro-reactor. Fluidic transport through the fluidic element of the injector pump is under instrument-control. Both the lateral flow element and the fluidic element may contain chemical entities incorporated along their length. The chemical reactions that can be used for analyte detection using the devices are described. Also described are methods of manufacture of these devices.

Abstract: Devices with electrokinetic elements are disclosed as well as their method of microfabrication for use in micro-scale analysis, mixture separation and reaction. The devices consist of solid hydrophilic-matrix films that have been microfabricated into a variety of micro-scale structures. These structures include hydrophilic-matrix conductors for electrokinetic species transport and separation. They also include hydrophilic-matrix cladding containing chemical species adjacent to either an open conduit or a hydrophilic matrix conductor. Also described are other integrated microstructures consisting of hydrophilic-matrix materials such as micro-reaction zones for retaining chemical species for on-chip chemical reactions and integrated detection structures for on-chip species detection. In general, a hydrophilic matrix on a substrate functions as a conductor that is covered by an electrically insulating, preferably water permeable material.

Abstract: Devices with electrokinetic elements are disclosed as well as their method of microfabrication for use in micro-scale analysis, mixture separation and reaction. The devices consist of solid hydrophilic-matrix films that have been microfabricated into a variety of micro-scale structures. These structures include hydrophilic-matrix conductors for electrokinetic species transport and separation. They also include hydrophilic-matrix cladding containing chemical species adjacent to either an open conduit or a hydrophilic matrix conductor. Also described are other integrated microstructures consisting of hydrophilic-matrix materials such as micro-reaction zones for retaining chemical species for on-chip chemical reactions and integrated detection structures for on-chip species detection. In general, a hydrophilic matrix on a substrate functions as a conductor that is covered by an electrically insulating, preferably water permeable material.

Abstract: The invention is directed to analytical devices and micro-arrays with integral fluidic inputs and outputs. The devices are constructed from planar solid-phase hydrophilic matrix circuits containing dry chemical reagents overlaying integral electro-kinetic pumping electrodes. The hydrophilic matrix circuits are enclosed within a gas permeable electrical insulator. The devices are for use in micro-scale bio-analysis, mixture separation and reaction.

Abstract: The present invention relates to planar electrochemical sensors with membrane coatings used to perform chemical analyses. The object of this invention is to provide unit-use disposable sensors of very simple and economical construction, preferably with only a single membrane coating on an electrode. The invented devices are potentiometric salt-bridge reference electrodes constructed with a heterogeneous membrane coating of a conductor. The heterogeneous membrane is a formulation that concurrently supports non-volatile species transport through an electrolyte compartment and gas transport through a hydrophobic compartment.

Abstract: Planar devices incorporating electrodes for performing chemical analyses are disclosed. The devices include an electrode module in a fluidic housing. The electrode module includes a carrier module and at least one electrode thereon. More specifically, the electrode module includes a planar carrier module made of a laminate of a metal layer and an insulator layer, which metal layer is divided into at least two metal conductor elements; and at least one electrode formed directly on the carrier module and including a membrane element for imparting chemical sensitivity to the electrode, the membrane element being applied to the insulator layer to be in electrical contact with one of the metal conductor elements through the insulator layer. The insulator layer preferably has die cut perforations through which the membrane element extends into electrical contact with the conductor layer. In the most economical embodiment, the carrier module is a common chip carrier according to ISO 7816-2.

Abstract: Devices for cost-effectively performing in-vitro diagnostic chemical analyses at multiple distributed locations within a medical institution are disclosed. One object of this invention is to provide a network of distributed sensory devices that acquire sensor signals from blood specimens and deliver those signals through a connect on to a central location for analysis by a general-purpose computer and generation of an analysis result. The analysis result is then sent to numerous locations on a network for display, including also possibly back to the location of signal acquisition. Cost-effective mobile sensing devices are also disclosed. The present system includes blood-sensor signal acquisition devices distributed throughout the hospital. The sensory signal-acquisition devices are card readers that acquire raw sensory signals from diagnostic cards inserted therein.