Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Measuring or detecting nonradioactive constituent of body...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-16
2001-03-06
O'Connor, Cary (Department: 3736)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Measuring or detecting nonradioactive constituent of body...
C600S347000, C600S361000, C600S365000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06198954
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a urine sugar detecting device, and a method of fabricating the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many urine sugar detecting devices have been suggested so far. For instance, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-193969 has suggested a device for electrically, chemically detecting glucose, and Japanese Patent Publication No. 8-23545 has suggested an enzyme electrode to be used for a glucose sensor.
For another instance, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication 5-72172 has suggested an enzyme electrode to be used for a urine sugar detecting sensor.
FIG. 1
illustrates the enzyme electrode suggested in the Publication. The illustrated enzyme electrode is fabricated as follows.
First, a platinum layer is formed on an insulating substrate
1
by sputtering. Then, the platinum layer is patterned by photolithography and etching steps to thereby form operation electrodes and reference electrodes. Each of the operation and reference electrodes is comprised of a sensitive portion
2
a
, a lead portion (not illustrated), and a connection portion
2
b.
Then, dip coating is applied to the insulating substrate
1
to thereby form an enzyme film
3
over the insulating substrate
1
except the connection portions
2
b
. Thereafter, the insulating substrate
1
is divided into enzyme electrodes.
In the enzyme electrode illustrated in
FIG. 1
, dip coating is applied to the insulating substrate
1
in order to form the enzyme film
3
. However, the dip coating is accompanied with problems that the dip coating cannot be applied to a plurality of substrates at a time, and hence, is not suitable for mass-production of enzyme electrodes, and that it is quite difficult for the dip coating to uniformize film quality and film thickness.
To solve these problems, Japanese Patent Publication No. 8-16669 has suggested a method of patterning an enzyme film in a region other than contact electrodes by photolithography. In this method, lift-off is carried out using a photoresist film. This method is carried out as follows.
First, contact electrodes are formed on a substrate. Then, a photoresist film is formed over the substrate by spin coating. Then, the photoresist film is removed in a region other than contact electrodes by photolithography.
Then, an enzyme film is formed over the substrate by spin coating. Then, the residual photoresist film is dissolved by organic solvent to thereby remove the enzyme film on the contact electrodes.
According to the method suggested in Japanese Patent Publication No. 8-16669, a plurality of substrates can be treated at a time, because a photoresist film can be applied to those substrates at a time by spin coating. Hence, the suggested method is suitable for mass-production of enzyme electrodes, and, in addition, has an advantage that film quality and film thickness can be readily uniformized.
However, the method suggested in Japanese Patent Publication No. 8-16669 needs to carry out a photolithography step. In other words, the method needs a particular apparatus for carrying out photolithography, and hence, is accompanied with a problem that it is not possible to shorten a time for fabricating an enzyme electrode.
In addition, the necessity of preparing a photolithography apparatus increases fabrication costs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above-mentioned problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a urine sugar detecting device which can be fabricated in simpler fabrication steps, specifically, without carrying out a photolithography step. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method of fabricating such a urine sugar detecting device.
In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a urine sugar detecting device including (a) a urine sugar sensor including at least one contact electrode and a cover film covering the contact electrode therewith, (b) a cartridge encasing the urine sugar sensor in fluid tight except the contact electrode, and (c) at least one contact pin encased in the cartridge and electrically connecting the contact electrode through the cover film.
It is preferable that the contact pin pierces the cover film to thereby have electrical connection with the contact electrode. For instance, the contact pin is kept deformed in the cartridge so as to have a force with which the contact pin pierces the cover film.
For instance, the contact pin is comprised of a straightly extending proximal portion and an obliquely, downwardly inclining distal portion, in which case, it is preferable that the distal portion obliquely, downwardly inclines by about 45 degrees.
In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of fabricating a urine sugar detecting device, including the steps of (a) fixing a urine sugar sensor in a lower half of a cartridge, the sensor including a contact electrode and a cover film covering the contact electrode therewith, (b) fixing a contact pin in an upper half of a cartridge, the contact pin having a free distal end, and (c) coupling the lower and upper halves of a cartridge in fluid tight so that the distal end of the contact pin pierces the cover film, and makes electrical contact with the contact electrode.
There is further provided a method of fabricating a urine sugar detecting device, including the steps of (a) fixing a urine sugar sensor in a lower half of a cartridge, the urine sugar sensor including a contact electrode and a cover film covering the contact electrode therewith, (b) fixing a contact pin in an upper half of a cartridge so that a straightly extending proximal portion of the contact pin is fixed and an obliquely, downwardly inclining distal portion of the contact pin is free, and (c) coupling the lower and upper halves of a cartridge in fluid tight so that the distal portion of the contact pin is deformed to thereby pierce the cover film, and makes electrical contact with the contact electrode.
A urine sugar detecting device is generally fabricated as follows. First, contact electrodes composed of platinum and silver are formed on an insulating substrate. Then, an organic, insulating thin film for detecting glucose is formed over the insulating substrate. According to this method, it is impossible to externally establish electrical connection, because the insulating thin film entirely covers the contact electrodes therewith.
Hence, in the present invention, a contact pin is pressurized to thereby pierce the insulating thin film at a distal end thereof. As a result, the contact pin makes electrical connection with the contact electrodes to thereby establish electrical connection.
In accordance with the present invention, it no longer necessary to carry out a step of removing the insulating thin film formed on the contact electrodes, and a step of forming the insulating thin film on the substrate in an area other than terminals. Hence, the urine sugar detecting device can be fabricated in simplified process relative to a conventional process.
The above and other objects and advantageous features of the present invention will be made apparent from the following description made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5730149 (1998-03-01), Nakayama et al.
patent: 5820551 (1998-10-01), Hill et al.
patent: 6021339 (2000-02-01), Saito et al.
Saito Atsushi
Saito Soichi
Astorino Michael
NEC Corporation
O'Connor Cary
Young & Thompson
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