Patent ID: 7407796

Claim:
A sensor device, comprising: a biosensor comprising a receptor bound on a solid substrate; a sensor compartment having an interior and an exterior, and enclosing the biosensor, the sensor compartment having a surface allowing external viewing of the biosensor; and a separation barrier forming at least a portion of the sensor compartment, the separation barrier being selected from the group consisting of a fibril membrane, a microporous membrane and a capillary-pore membrane, the separation barrier having at least one pore allowing fluid communication between the interior and the exterior of the sensor compartment, wherein the biosensor further comprises a detector molecule and signal material which are each attached to a surface of the biosensor wherein the detector molecule and signal material are selected from the group consisting of a) a combination of a first fluorescent receptor and a second fluorescent receptor, the second fluorescent receptor emitting detectable light of a unique wavelength on excitation by fluorescent resonance transfer by the first fluorescent receptor; b) a combination of a first receptor and a second receptor, the first receptor binding a cell and the second receptor undergoing a detectable spectral change in response to material released by the cell bound to the first receptor; c) a combination of two inhibited fluorescent groups linked by an enzymatic cleavage site, and wherein enzymatic action cleaves the enzymatic cleavage site and releases the fluorescent inhibition; and d) a combination of a first receptor and a second receptor, the first receptor binding a cell capable of releasing an enzyme and the second receptor being an inhibited fluorescent group wherein the enzyme releases the fluorescent inhibition.