Patent ID: 7863038

Claim:
A biosensor/detector apparatus comprising: an external excitation electronic component adapted to generate an input waveform, a biosensor membrane component comprising: a multiple layered film including: at least two layer-by-layer assembled (LBL) layers, each LBL layer including at least one positively charged layer and at least one negatively charged layer, where the layers alternate between a positively charged layer and a negatively charged layer, at least one responsive layer interposed between the two LBL layers, where the responsive layer has a detectable property that undergoes a change due to a change in a concentration of a target agent associated with a biological system, at least one of the negatively charged layers includes a detection enhancing component comprising nano-particles, where the detection enhancing component improves detection of the detectable property of the at least one responsive layer, and at least one bio-compatible layer deposited on each LBL layer, where the bio-compatible layer reduces cytotoxicity of the detection enhancing components, where the membrane component is adapted to be placed in contact with or implanted into a living biological system and where the member interacts with the input waveform to produce an output waveform, an external detection electronic component adapted to receive the output waveform and to generate a response signal corresponding to the output waveform, where the response signal corresponds to a value of the detectable property of the at least one responsive layer, and an external analyzer adapted to convert the response signal into a corresponding value of the detectable property, which corresponds to a concentration of the target agent associated with the living biological system.