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Publication Number
US-11493466-B2
Publication Date
2022-11-08
Expiration Date
Abstract
Sensors having an advantageous design and methods for fabricating such sensors are generally provided. Some sensors described herein have pairs of electrodes having radial symmetry, pairs of nested electrodes, and/or nanowires. Some embodiments relate to fabricating electrodes by methods in which nanowires are deposited from a fluid contacted with a substrate in a manner such that it evaporates and is replenished.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a sensor comprising a first electrode, a second electrode, and a plurality of nanowires configured so that a first nanowire is in electrical communication with the first electrode and the second electrode. The first and second electrodes are disposed on the plurality of nanowires and the plurality of nanowires forms a circular structure.
The sensor geometry is constrained by a distance between the first electrode and the second electrode that is greater than or equal to 5 microns and less than or equal to 15 microns, and by a ratio of a length of the first nanowire to the distance between the first electrode and the second electrode that is greater than or equal to 1.5 and less than or equal to 5.
The disclosure further describes nanowire-based electrode systems for bodily-fluid sensing in which nanowires form circular coffee-ring nanowire patterns, with electrodes disposed on the nanowires, and interface engineering using blocking layers to reduce nonspecific interactions and charge screening. Functionalized nanowire surfaces are used to enable target-specific responses in sensing performance examples.
The disclosed performance examples describe enhanced pH sensitivity from aminosilane-functionalized silicon nanowires and time-dependent equivalent surface potential increases for antibody-functionalized nanowires responding to target proteins, including comparison to control/anti-control conditions.
Claims Coverage
The independent claim (clm-00001) defines a nanowire-based sensor having a circular nanowire structure with first and second electrodes disposed on the nanowires and connected by a first nanowire in electrical communication with both electrodes. The coverage tightly limits geometry using an electrode spacing range and a nanowire length-to-spacing ratio, and it is further refined by multiple dependent inventive features described for the family.
Nanowire circular-structure electrode pair with shared nanowire electrical communication
A sensor comprising a first electrode, a second electrode, and a plurality of nanowires in which a first nanowire is in electrical communication with the first electrode and the second electrode, with the first and second electrodes disposed on the plurality of nanowires and the plurality of nanowires forming a circular structure.
Geometric constraints on electrode spacing and nanowire length
The sensor where a distance between the first electrode and the second electrode is greater than or equal to 5 microns and less than or equal to 15 microns, and where a ratio of a length of the first nanowire to the distance between the first electrode and the second electrode is greater than or equal to 1.5 and less than or equal to 5.
Blocking layer to reduce nonspecific interactions and charge screening
The sensor further comprising a blocking layer as a structural feature to reduce nonspecific interactions and charge screening.
Blocking layer with stabilizer removed upon contact with liquid
The sensor where the blocking layer comprises a stabilizer that is removed upon contact with liquid.
Across the described claim set, the core inventive coverage centers on a sensor in which first and second electrodes are disposed on a plurality of nanowires that form a circular structure, with a shared nanowire providing electrical communication between both electrodes under constrained geometry defined by electrode spacing and a length-to-spacing ratio. Dependent features further include use of a blocking layer, including embodiments where the blocking layer comprises a stabilizer removed upon contact with liquid.
Stated Advantages
Enhanced pH sensitivity is described for aminosilane-functionalized silicon nanowires.
Time-dependent equivalent surface potential increases are described for antibody-functionalized nanowires responding to target proteins versus control/anti-control conditions.
Documented Applications
Bodily-fluid sensing is described as a use context for the nanowire-based electrode systems.
Sensing pH is described via performance examples using aminosilane-functionalized silicon nanowires.
Protein target sensing is described via antibody-functionalized nanowires responding to target proteins including S100β and SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, with comparisons to control/anti-control conditions.
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