Patent ID: 7943023
Filing Date: 2011-05-17
Classification: B01J,G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A digitally programmable array-based electronic chip for carrying out biological reactions in a solution response to electrical stimuli, comprising: an array of electrode sites, each electrode site including a sample-and-hold circuit coupled to a working electrode, the array of electrodes adapted to receive the solution; a plurality of switches configured to selectively couple the working electrodes to the output of a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), the switches configured to selectively operate in each of the following modes at varying times: i) a solution mode in which the working electrode is in contact with the solution, ii) a high-impedance mode, iii) a current measurement mode, and iv) a voltage measurement mode; a control logic module coupled to the digital-to-analog converter and the plurality of switches configured to select among the various modes; a measurement circuit comprising one or more voltage sense amplifiers configured to selectively couple the array of electrode sites to an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), the analog-to-digital converter coupled to the control logic module; and an external processor configured to digitally interface with the control logic module, wherein the communication between the control logic and the external processor includes an indication of the selected mode, a clock signal, a data in signal, and a data out signal, wherein voltage values at the array of electrode sites are monitored by the measurement circuit and converted into digital data by the analog-to-digital converter, and a constant current or a constant voltage is maintained by the control logic module.