Patent ID: 8252236
Filing Date: 2012-08-28
Classification: C12Q,G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for measuring the concentration of a substrate, said apparatus comprising: a fuel cell having an anode on which a biocatalyst is disposed and a cathode on which an external electron acceptor is disposed; a capacitor connected to said fuel cell in series; and a measuring device for measuring said substrate concentration by using the charging rate of said capacitor as an index; wherein said measuring device measures the discharging frequency, by said capacitor discharging an accumulated electric potential when said electric potential charged in said capacitor reaches or exceeds a certain level; wherein said measuring device has a signal generation circuit generating a signal by said discharging from said capacitor and measures the frequency of said signal; and wherein an electromotive force generated by transferring electrons generated by a reaction between said substrate and said biocatalyst into said external electron acceptor on said cathode is charged in said capacitor, and the charging rate thereof is measured by said measuring device.