Patent ID: 6326215
Filing Date: 2001-12-04
Classification: B82Y,C12Q,G01N,Y10S

Abstract:
A method of sensing the presence of an analyte component in an analyte with a sensor including (i) a plurality of conductive polymer strands each having at least a first end and a second end and each aligned in a non random orientation, (ii) a plurality of molecular recognition headgroups having an affinity for said analyte component, being attached to said first ends of said conductive polymer strands, and participating in a redox reaction when contacting a molecule of said analyte component, and (iii) an electrode substrate attached to said conductive polymer strands at said second ends, the method comprising:contacting said molecular recognition headgroups with said analyte; anddetermining whether mobile charge carriers have been transferred to said electrode substrate resulting from mobile charge carriers generated by said redox reaction and transferred by said conductive polymer strands to said electrode substrate to thereby sense the presence of the analyte component, wherein when said redox reaction occurs at a headgroup, a mobile charge carrier is transferred directly to a conductive polymer strand attached to said headgroup, without redox reaction in the polymer strand.