Ppg Industries, Inc.

Sendx Medical, Inc.

Other

Sendex Medical, Inc.

Matthew J Leader

Jeffrey Graves

Douglas R Savage

Kee Van Sin

Marshall L Sherman

Ronald E Betts

Jeffrey A Graves

Jeffery A Graves

Richard J Koerner

John M Moorman

A blood analyzer sensor cartridge comprises a housing having chamber and a sensor assembly within the chamber, a first fluid port having an articulated inlet aspiration tube for direct introduction of a sample, a first fluid path in the housing communicating the first fluid port with the sensor assembly, a second fluid port in the housing adapted for connection to an analyzer, and a second fluid path in the housing communicating the sensor assembly with the second fluid port, the articulated tube is pivotally mounted to the housing for selective orientation within a range of up to ninety degrees, the tube is moveable from a protective recess in the housing to a position normal to a face of the housing.

Locking sensor cartridge with integral fluid ports, electrical connections, and pump tube

The present invention is a sensor formed over a subminiature through hole. Because of the small diameter of the through hole, the material that fills the through hole and the through hole itself have an essentially negligible effect on the sensor. Only a small amount of conductive material which fills each through hole is in contact with each associated electrode. Therefore, the purity of the electrode is not significantly altered by the conductive material coupled to the electrode. A relatively large number of sensors can be formed on the surface of the substrate within a relatively small fluid flowcell. Thus, more information can be attained using less blood. The sensors of the present invention are preferably disposed on an alumina substrate which is essentially impervious to aqueous electrolytes and blood over long periods of storage in potentially corrosive environments. Since the substrate on which the sensors are deposited does not break down or become unstable when exposed over time to such corrosive environments, the isolation that is provided by the substrate remains very high between each sensor and each other sensor, between each sensor and each conduction path, and between each conduction path and each other conduction path. The superior isolation provided by the substrate provides for a high level of accuracy in the sensor of the present invention. Furthermore, the use of the through holes allows the conduction paths between the electrodes of the sensors and any external devices to be exclusively on the opposite side of the substrate from the sample. This physical isolation of the sample from the conduction paths between the sensor electrodes and external devices ensures very high electrical isolation between each of the sensors is maintained over an extended period time during which corrosive fluids (such as electrolytes and/or blood) are present in the flowcell.

Sensor cartridge for a fluid analyte analyzer

The present invention is a sensor having an electrode formed in electrical contact with a subminiature through hole. Because of the small diameter of the through hole, the material that fills the through hole and the through hole itself have an essentially negligible effect on the sensor. A relatively large number of sensors can be formed on the surface of the substrate within a relatively small fluid flowcell. Thus, more information can be attained using less analyte. The sensors of the present invention are preferably disposed on an alumina substrate which is essentially impervious to aqueous electrolytes and blood over long periods of storage in potentially corrosive environments. Since the substrate on which the sensors are deposited, and the encapsulants which insulate the conductive elements of the sensor do not break down or become unstable when exposed over time to such corrosive environments, the isolation that is provided remains very high between each sensor and each other sensor, between each sensor and each conduction path, and between each conduction path and each other conduction path. The superior isolation provides for a high level of accuracy in the sensor of the present invention. Furthermore, the use of the through holes allows the conduction paths between the electrodes of the sensors and any external devices to be exclusively on the opposite side of the substrate from the sample. This physical isolation of the sample from the conduction paths between the sensor electrodes and external devices ensures very high electrical isolation between each of the sensors is maintained over an extended period time during which reactive fluids (such as electrolytes and/or blood) are present in the flowcell.

Sensors with subminiature through holes

The present invention is an electronic wiring substrate for sensors formed over a subminiature through hole. Because of the small diameter of the through hole, the material that fills the through hole and the through hole itself have an essentially negligible effect on the sensor. Only a small amount of conductive material which fills each through hole is in contact with each associated electrode. Therefore, the purity of the electrode is not significantly altered by the conductive material coupled to the electrode. A relatively large number of sensors can be formed on the surface of the substrate within a relatively small fluid flowcell. Thus, more information can be attained using less blood. The substrate is essentially impervious to aqueous electrolytes and blood over long periods of storage in potentially corrosive environments. Since the substrate does not break down or become unstable when exposed over time to such reactive environments, the isolation that is provided by the substrate remains very high between each sensor and each other sensor, between each sensor and each conduction path, and between each conduction path and each other conduction path. The superior isolation provided by the substrate provides for a high level of accuracy in the sensor of the present invention. This physical isolation of the sample from the conduction paths between the sensor electrodes and external devices ensures very high electrical isolation between each of the sensors is maintained over an extended period time during which corrosive fluids (such as electrolytes and/or blood) are present in the flowcell.

Electronic wiring substrate with subminiature thru-holes

Method for fabricating wiring substrate with subminiature thru-holes

The present invention is a method for drilling a subminiature through hole through a substrate. The through holes of the present invention are preferably drilled through an alumina substrate which is essentially impervious to aqueous electrolytes and blood over long periods of storage in potentially reactive environments. The holes are drilled by directing a sealed type CO.sub.2 laser at a predetermined position located on the substrate, energizing the laser at a power of approximately 75 to 225 watts, such that the laser beam focuses on the substrate at the predetermined position, and treating the substrate after the laser has drilled the hole.

Method for drilling subminiature through holes in a sensor substrate

The electrode of the present invention has metallic surface within a laser produced opening where the metallic surface extends into an electronic metallic conductive pathway and the pathway is covered for electric insulation by an encapsulant layer. The encapsulant layer around the metallic surface has the opening to allow the exposure of the metallic surface from the encapsulant layer. The metallic pathway and encapsulant are resident on a substrate, and are produced from layered circuitry. The electrochemical cell has the aforementioned electrode juxtaposed to another electrode. This electrode is part of the patterned metallic layer that is produced by layered circuitry. The electrode extends into an electronic metallic conductive pathway that is spaced apart and electronically insulated from the other pathway. The insulation can be supplied by a covering of encapsulant material that covers the pathway except does not cover the second electrode. The encapsulant would not cover the second electrode by virtue of its removal by laser and/or masking during production of the layered circuitry. Both of the electrodes are covered with an oxygen permeable fluid electrolyte that provides ionic contact between the two electrodes. The electrodes and electrolyte are covered with one or more oxygen permeable membranes, and these along with the metallic conductive pathways are resident on a substrate. The cell is useful in detecting oxygen in fluids when a negative potential is applied to the laser-produced electrode relative to the other electrode through the pathways that are in contact with leads for external electrical contact from the substrate.

Cathode in a layered circuit and electrochemical cell for measurement of

A sensor apparatus is provided that is the sensor with or without accompanying sample collector means and calibration means in a hermetically sealed layer that contains at least one preconditioning fluid. The preconditioning fluid is an activating fluid when the sensor is in an unsealed housing and can be either or both the activating fluid or a controlled-content fluid when the sensor is in a sealed housing. The sealed housing is one that has the preconditioning fluid sealed in fluid contact with the one or more sensors on a sensor element. The sensor element also has an electrical circuit means in electrical contact with the one or more sensor on a nonconducting substrate. When both preconditioning fluids are present the activating fluid is in fluid contact with the one or more sensors in the sealed housing and the known-content fluid is present in the atmosphere in the hermetically sealed layer outside the sealed housing. The sealed layer is impervious to gas and moisture and is a diffusion-tight boundary or barrier.

Electrochemical sensor storage device

A portable, ready-for-use analyte measuring device is provided for the measurement of multiple sequential fluid samples. The device has a disposable cartridge, a calibrating fluid external to the cartridge and an analyzer. The cartridge has a housing, inlet for introduction of fluids into the housing, flow cell in fluid connection with the inlet, a waste collection area or reservoir in fluid connection to receive fluids from the flow cell, and at least one flow control means in fluid connection with the reservoir. The flow cell has a flow-through channel with one or more hydrated sensors arranged along the channel that has fluid therein. Also the flow cell has one or more spaced-apart reference electrode containment spaces in conductive contact with a contained quantity of reference fluid for the number of multiple sequential tests for the cartridge. The reference electrode containment space is spaced apart from but in conductive relation with the one or more sensors. The flow cell also has an electric circuit attached for electrical conduction to the one or more sensors and reference electrode and which is electrically isolated from the fluid in the channel. The multi-test device also has signal conveyor connected to the electric circuit of the flow cell to transmit signals responsive to the fluids contacting the sensors to the analyzer. Both the cartridge and the calibrating fluid are associated with an encoded information carrier for sensor performance parameters and calibrant analyte concentrations for inputting into the encoded information reader of the analyzer.

Portable analyte measuring system for multiple fluid samples

An improved electronic wiring board having a thermistor and at least one blood gas sensor supported, in close relation, one to the other, on one side of the board and a heater supported on the other side of the board to provide heat in response to temperature sensed by the thermistor, to at least the region where the thermistor and the blood gas sensor are positioned on the board to control the temperature of the region of the board within a narrow distribution of temperatures.

Electronic wiring substrate

A plastic covered nonconducting substrate with an electrical circuit means is secured to the extent to withstand the presence of liquids in contact with the substrate. The covered substrate can have the substrate with one or more fluid preconditionable electrical components, a housing secured to the substrate to maintain contact of the preconditioning fluid with the electrical component like a sensor, and moisture impervious seals to cover openings in the housing for the disposition of the preconditioning fluid in the housing for contact with the electrical component on the substrate. The housing can have one or more parts and have one or more channels for containing the preconditioning fluid. The electrical component can be an improved electronic wiring board having a thermistor and at least one blood gas sensor supported, in close relation, one to the other, on one side of the board and a heater supported on the other side of the board to provide heat in response to temperature sensed by the thermistor, to at least the region where the thermistor and the blood gas sensor are positioned on the board to control the temperature of the region of the board within a narrow distribution of temperatures.

Integrated circuit hydrated sensor apparatus

The sensor apparatus of the present invention includes on a nonconducting substrate electrically conductive pathways leading to at least two analyte electrodes and one reference electrode. The analyte electrodes each have sensitivities for both analytes but each has a membrane and/or electrolyte that favors the conversion of ionic potential to electronic potential for a different analyte. The apparatus has an fluid circuit means for liquid contact between the electrodes so that electric signals can be sent by electric circuitry to an analyzing means. The analyzing means determines the values of the analytes from the following simultaneous relationships: ##EQU1## where: delta mV=change in millivolts

Growing community of inventors

Laguna Niguel, CA, United States of America

Matthew J Leader