JP4856018B2 - Biosensor - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a biosensor capable of quantitative analysis by measuring the amount of a substrate component in a specimen.

  Conventionally, biosensors have been devised for measuring blood sugar levels and the like of specimens (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2). According to this biosensor, the blood glucose level or the like can be measured by measuring the current value between the working electrode and the counter electrode when the reaction part reacts with blood or the like introduced from the supply port.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 08-01208 International Publication No. 2004/017057 Pamphlet

  When measuring a blood glucose level, etc., using a biosensor, the biosensor is inserted into the sensor mounting opening of the measurement display. However, since the biosensor is a consumable item, it is removed from the measurement display after measurement. To be disposed of.

  Here, since the work of removing the biosensor from the measurement display after the measurement was performed while holding the biosensor by a human hand, there is a risk of suffering from an infection from blood adhering to the biosensor. The removal work was done with great care, such as wearing gloves.

  In addition, with biosensors that have been downsized due to recent technological developments, there has been a further increase in the risk of blood adhering to the biosensor adhering to the hand, as well as the attachment and removal of biosensors from measurement displays. Workability and handling are also getting worse. Especially for elderly people and those who are not good at fine fingertips, it is extremely difficult to attach a small biosensor to a measurement display or to remove a biosensor without blood on the hand. .

  In view of the above problems, the inventor of the present application can easily perform attachment and detachment work to and from the measurement display, and blood and the like attached to the biosensor adhere to the hand during the detachment work. As a result of intensive studies to provide a biosensor that is difficult to perform, the present invention has been achieved.

That is, the present invention is a biosensor for measuring the amount of a substrate component in a sample by being attached to a sensor attachment opening of a measurement display ,
A substrate made of an insulator, a working electrode provided on the substrate, a counter electrode provided at a certain distance from the working electrode, the working electrode and a reaction part provided on the counter electrode, and a specimen supply port for introducing to the reaction unit, a sensor unit including a made of an insulating material, the sensor unit is configured to include a support portion having a slidably guided by the guide hole, wherein the sensor portion is the when slid in the direction opposite to the supply opening with respect to the support portion, the supply port is accommodated in the guide hole, in a state where the supply port is received in the guide hole, the sensor unit comprising a regulating means for regulating the sliding of the to supply port and the opposite direction, when removed from the sensor mounting opening of the measuring indicator, said slide to said supply port side of the supporting part It is regulated .

In addition, in the biosensor, the restricting unit includes a step portion provided in the sensor portion and a locking portion provided in the support portion and in contact with the step portion .

  According to the biosensor of the present invention, when the amount of the substrate component in the sample is measured, the supply port provided in the sensor unit protrudes from the support unit, so that the support unit does not interfere with the measurement work. As with the biosensor, it is possible to easily spot blood or the like on the supply port. On the other hand, when removing the biosensor of the present invention from the measurement display after measurement, the supply port is accommodated in the guide hole provided in the support unit by gripping and sliding the support unit, so that the vicinity of the supply port It is possible to prevent blood adhering to the hand from adhering to the hand. Therefore, it is possible to prevent infection from blood adhering to the vicinity of the supply port.

  In addition, the biosensor of the present invention can easily adhere to the hand of blood, prevent infection, etc. due to its structure, so that the efficiency of measurement work in the medical field and the like, improvement in handling of the biosensor, etc. Is also planned.

  Furthermore, since the biosensor of the present invention is configured in a state where the small sensor portion is inserted into the guide hole provided in the support portion, the attachment and detachment work of the biosensor to the measurement display unit is not performed. It can be easily carried out by gripping, and it is possible to improve the handleability, the workability of the measurement work, and the like, especially for elderly people and people who are not good at fine work with fingertips.

  Furthermore, in the biosensor of the present invention, by providing a restricting means, it is possible to further improve the efficiency of measurement work, improve the handleability of the biosensor, and the like. Further, depending on the mode of the restricting means, it is possible to easily prevent the sensor portion from falling out of the guide hole provided in the support portion.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the biosensor of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. A biosensor 10 according to the present embodiment shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B is a biosensor that measures the amount of a substrate component in a specimen, and includes a sensor unit 12 and a support unit 14. Has been.

  The sensor unit 12 includes an insulating substrate 16, a working electrode 18 provided on the substrate 16, and a counter electrode 20, a working electrode 18, and a counter electrode 20 provided on the substrate 16 at a predetermined interval from the working electrode 18. A reaction port 22 provided on the electrode 20, and a supply port 24 for introducing a specimen such as blood to the reaction unit 22, and the reaction unit 22 reacts to the sample introduced from the supply port 24, The amount of the substrate component (for example, blood glucose level) in the specimen can be measured. In addition, the code | symbol 26 is the level | step-difference part each formed in the both-sides edge part of the board | substrate 16, and the regulation means 30 is comprised by this level | step-difference part 26 and the latching | locking part 28 with which the support part 14 mentioned later is provided. The effect of the restriction means 30 will be described later.

  The support portion 14 is made of an insulator and includes a guide hole 32 through which the sensor portion 12 is slidably guided. As described above, reference numeral 28 denotes a locking portion constituting the restricting means 30 and is formed in the guide hole 32 on the one end portion 14a side of the support portion 14, in other words, on the one end opening 32a side of the guide hole 32. ing.

  The insulator constituting the substrate 16 and the support 14 is, for example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate, a polyester resin sheet such as a biodegradable polyester resin composed of an aliphatic unit and an aromatic unit, more heat resistant, Examples thereof include a plastic sheet such as a polyamide-imide sheet and a polyimide sheet excellent in chemical resistance and strength, and an inorganic substrate such as a ceramic.

  The working electrode 18 and the counter electrode 20 each have a belt shape, and are arranged in parallel on the substrate 16 at a predetermined interval. The working electrode 18 and the like are formed on the substrate 16 by a good electric conductor such as platinum, gold, nickel, palladium, and indium-tin oxide. As a forming method, hot stamping can be considered. Vacuum deposition or sputtering is preferable because a fine electrode pattern can be formed with high accuracy. In the case of sputtering, it can be formed all at once by masking the outside of electrode formation.

  The reaction unit 22 includes an oxidoreductase and an electron acceptor. For example, it is configured by applying and drying a liquid material containing an oxidoreductase and an electron acceptor. Examples of the oxidoreductase include glucose oxidase when measuring glucose. Glucose oxidase reacts with glucose to produce gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide. Moreover, when measuring an alcohol value, alcohol oxidase or alcohol dehydrogenase is used. When measuring lactic acid, lactate oxidase or lactate dehydrogenase is used. When measuring uric acid, uricase is used. Generally, it is an inorganic or organic fine powdery compound that promotes oxidation-reduction of enzymes. For example, alkali metal ferricyanide (particularly potassium ferricyanide metal salt is preferable), ferrocene or an alkyl-substituted product thereof, p-benzoquinone, methylene blue, potassium β-naphthoquinone-4-sulfonate, phenazine methosulfate, 2,6- Examples include dichlorophenol-indophenol. Ferricyanide alkali metal salts and ferrocenes have a stable function as an electron transfer medium and are well soluble in aqueous solvents such as water, alcohols, or mixed solvents thereof, and thus effectively function as electron acceptors.

  As shown in FIGS. 1B and 2, the supply port 24 is formed by the leading edge 36 a of the cover 36 provided on the substrate 16 via the spacer 34 and the leading edge 16 a of the substrate 16. . That is, the supply port 24 is formed by a gap generated by the spacer 34 between the leading edge 36a and the leading edge 16a. A sample such as blood introduced from the supply port 24 can reach the leading edge 34a of the spacer 34 by capillary action if the amount is sufficient.

  In the biosensor 10 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3A, the sensor unit 12 is provided with the working electrode 18 and the counter electrode 20 on the substrate 16 at regular intervals. As shown, the reaction part 22 is applied on the working electrode 18 and the counter electrode 20 and covered with a cover 36 via a spacer 34. Then, as shown in FIG. 1, the sensor unit 12 is slidably guided in the guide hole 32 when the sensor unit 12 is inserted into the guide hole 32 of the support unit 14. The form of biosensor 10 is configured. In the present embodiment, the step portion 26 is formed in the sensor portion 12, the locking portion 28 is formed in the guide hole 32 in the support portion 14, and the regulating means 30 is configured by the step portion 26 and the locking portion 28. Has been. Therefore, the rear end edge 16b side of the substrate 16 in the sensor portion 12 is inserted from the other end opening 32b of the guide hole 32 on the other end portion 14b side of the support portion 14, and this rear end edge 16b side is inserted into the guide hole 32 side. The biosensor 10 of the present embodiment is configured by projecting from the one end opening 32a.

  The biosensor 10 of the present embodiment configured as described above is inserted into a sensor mounting opening provided in a measurement display (not shown) when measuring the amount of a substrate component such as a blood glucose level. Below, the effect | action at the time of measuring a blood glucose level using this biosensor 10 is demonstrated.

  A blood glucose level measurer first attaches the sensor unit 12 of the biosensor 10 to a measurement display (not shown). Specifically, the rear end edge 16b side of the substrate 16 in the sensor unit 12 is inserted into the sensor mounting opening of the measurement display, and as shown in FIG. 14 is protruded from the other end 14b of 14. Note that only the rear end edge 16b of the substrate 16 may be inserted into the sensor mounting opening, or the rear end edge 16b side of the substrate 16 may be inserted together with the other end portion 14b of the support portion 14. That is, when the biosensor 10 is attached to the measurement display, at least the supply port 24 only has to protrude from the other end portion 14 b of the support portion 14.

  In the state where the supply port 24 provided in the sensor unit 12 protrudes from the support unit 14 as described above, blood that has been ejected by piercing a finger or the like into the fingertip is spotted on the supply port 24. The blood spotted on the supply port 24 flows through the gap between the substrate 16 and the cover 36 along the working electrode 18 and the counter electrode 20 toward the tip edge 34a of the spacer 34 by capillary action. Then, an enzymatic reaction is performed in the reaction unit 22, and the blood glucose level is measured by detecting the electrochemical change at that time with the working electrode 18 and the counter electrode 20, and the measurement result is displayed on the measurement display.

  After the blood sugar level is measured, when the support portion 14 is slid toward the supply port 24 while the support portion 14 is held, the supply port 24 is accommodated in the guide hole 32 as shown in FIG. The Here, when the mounting direction of the biosensor 10, in other words, the insertion direction of the sensor unit 12 into the sensor mounting opening matches the sliding direction of the support unit 14, the support unit 14 is connected to the supply port. When sliding to the 24 side, the supply port 24 is accommodated in the guide hole 32 as described above, and the step portion 26 provided in the sensor unit 12 abuts on the engaging portion 28 provided in the support portion 14, thereby supporting the support portion. 14 sliding is regulated. When the support unit 14 is further moved to the supply port 24 side, the sensor unit 12 is removed together with the support unit 14 from the sensor mounting opening of the measurement display, and a series of blood glucose measurement operations is completed.

  As described above, according to the biosensor 10 of the present embodiment, the supply port 24 protrudes from the support portion 14 when measuring the amount of a substrate component such as a blood glucose level (see FIG. 1A). The part 14 does not interfere with the measurement operation, and can be easily spotted with blood or the like on the supply port 24 as in the conventional biosensor. On the other hand, when removing the biosensor 10 from the measurement display after measurement, the supply port 24 provided in the sensor unit 12 is accommodated in the guide hole 32 provided in the support unit 14 by grasping and sliding the support unit 14. Thus (see FIG. 4), it is possible to prevent adhesion of blood or the like adhering to the vicinity of the supply port 24 to the hand. Therefore, it is possible to prevent infection from blood adhering to the vicinity of the supply port 24.

  In addition, because of the structure of the biosensor 10, blood can be easily attached to the hand and infections can be prevented more easily than conventional biosensors. The improvement of handling is also possible. In particular, the provision of the restricting means 30 makes it possible to remove the sensor unit 12 together with the support unit 14 from the sensor mounting opening of the measurement display by gripping and sliding the support unit 14.

  Furthermore, since the biosensor 10 of the present embodiment is configured in a state where the small sensor unit 12 is inserted into the guide hole 32 provided in the support unit 14, the biosensor 10 can be attached to the measurement display. The removal work can be easily performed by grasping the support portion 14, especially for elderly people or those who are not good at fine work with fingertips, handling and measurement work compared to conventional biosensors. Etc. can be improved.

  The biosensor 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention exemplified above should not be construed as substantially limiting the technical idea of the present invention. For example, the state before the sensor portion in the present invention is inserted into the sensor mounting opening provided in the measurement display (hereinafter referred to as “pre-measurement step”) is the state shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. Any of the states shown can be used. That is, if the rear end edge 16b side of the substrate 16 in the sensor part 12 protrudes from at least one end part 14a of the support part 14, and the rear end edge 16b side can be inserted into the sensor mounting opening, the supply port in the sensor part 12 24 may protrude from the other end portion 14 b of the support portion 14, or may be accommodated in a guide hole 32 provided in the support portion 14. If the biosensor 10 in the pre-measurement stage is in the state shown in FIG. 4, it is preferable because the supply port 24 can be protected by the support portion 14 and damage near the supply port 24 can be prevented.

  In any of the above states, it is preferable that the sensor part and the support part are adhered with an adhesive or the like in the pre-measurement stage. In the biosensor of the present invention, the sensor portion is slidably inserted into the guide hole provided in the support portion. Therefore, for example, in the biosensor 10 of the above-described embodiment, the sensor unit 12 and the support unit 14 are adhered to each other in advance with an adhesive, whereby the support unit 14 is gripped and the rear edge 16b side of the sensor unit 12 is When inserting into the attachment opening, sliding of the sensor unit 12 can be restricted, and the rear end edge 16b side can be prevented from entering the guide hole 32. More specifically, when the support part 14 is gripped and the rear end edge 16b side of the sensor part 12 adhered in the guide hole 32 with a predetermined adhesive force is inserted into the sensor mounting opening, the adhesive force is If the rear end edge 16b side is sufficient to be inserted, the rear end edge 16b side is inserted into the sensor mounting opening while holding the support portion 14 without the sensor portion 12 sliding inside the guide hole 32. can do. When the state before the measurement is the state shown in FIG. 4, after the rear end edge 16b side is inserted into the sensor mounting opening, the support portion 14 is further moved to the rear end edge 16b side with a force exceeding the adhesive force. When moved, the adhesion between the sensor part 12 and the support part 14 is released, the support part 14 slides toward the rear edge 16b, and the supply port 24 in the sensor part 12 protrudes from the other end part 14b of the support part 14. Therefore, the amount of the substrate component can be measured.

  Furthermore, the restriction means in the present invention is not limited to the aspect of the restriction means 30 in the biosensor 10 of the above embodiment, and may be an aspect like the restriction means 30a included in the biosensor 10a shown in FIG. . The restricting means 30 a includes a protrusion 40 provided on the back side of the sensor unit 12, in other words, a lower surface side of the substrate 16 in the sensor unit 12, and a guide groove 42 provided in the guide hole 32 provided in the support unit 14. It consists of and. In the biosensor 10a of this embodiment, when the sensor unit 12 slides in the guide hole 32 provided in the support unit 14, the protrusion 40 provided in the sensor unit 12 also slides in the guide groove 42. And as shown in FIG.5 (b), when the projection part 40 contact | abuts to the one end part 42a of the guide groove 42, the sliding to the supply port 24 side of the sensor part 12 is controlled. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5C, the protrusion 40 abuts against the other end 42b of the guide groove 42, thereby restricting the sliding of the sensor unit 12 toward the rear edge 16b of the substrate 16. The That is, according to the regulating means 30a in the present embodiment, the sensor unit 12 can be easily prevented from falling out of the guide hole 32, and the sliding of the sensor unit 12 is regulated in the state of FIG. 5B. Therefore, the rear end edge 16b side can be easily inserted into the sensor attachment opening while the support portion 14 is gripped.

  Furthermore, a lid may be provided on the support portion in the biosensor of the present invention. For example, like the support portion 15 in the biosensor 10 b shown in FIG. 6, the other end portion 15 b of the support portion 15 is provided with a lid 44 that closes the other end opening 32 b of the guide hole 32. The sliding of the sensor unit 12 sliding on the supply port 24 side can be restricted. That is, by closing the lid 44 and closing the other end opening 32b, the state shown in FIG. 6A is maintained in the pre-measurement stage, and the sliding of the sensor unit 12 is restricted. Can be prevented, and the rear edge 16b side can be easily inserted into the sensor mounting opening with the support portion 15 held. On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 6B and 6C, by opening the lid 44 and causing the supply port 24 to protrude from the other end portion 15b of the support portion 15, the support portion 15 hinders the measurement work. However, it is possible to easily spot the supply port 24 with blood or the like. Further, after the measurement is completed, the supply port 24 to which blood or the like is attached is accommodated in the guide hole 32 and is slid toward the supply port 24 side of the sensor unit 12 by returning to the state of FIG. Since the movement is regulated by the lid 44, it is possible to easily prevent the blood or the like adhering to the vicinity of the supply port 24 from adhering to the hand. Accordingly, the effect of preventing infectious diseases from blood adhering to the vicinity of the supply port 24 is further improved, the efficiency of measurement work in the medical field, etc., and the handling of the biosensor are improved.

  Moreover, the shape of the working electrode 18 and the counter electrode 20 in the sensor part 12, the number of electrodes, etc. are not specifically limited. The present invention can be carried out without departing from the gist thereof, with appropriate improvements, changes or additions based on the inventive ideas and ideas of those skilled in the art.

(A) is a front view of the biosensor which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, (b) is A-A 'sectional drawing in (a). It is an enlarged front view of the sensor part in FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the assembly method of the sensor part shown in FIG. 2, (a) is a front view before providing the reaction part, (b) is a front view which shows the state which provides a spacer and a cover. It is a front view which shows the state which the sensor part in the biosensor shown in FIG. 1 slid. (A) is a front view of the biosensor which concerns on other embodiment of this invention, (b) And (c) is B-B 'sectional drawing in (a). (A) And (b) is a front view of the biosensor which concerns on other embodiment of this invention, (c) is C-C 'sectional drawing in (b). It is.

Explanation of symbols

10, 10a, 10b: Biosensor 12: Sensor part 14, 15: Support part 16: Substrate 18: Working electrode 20: Counter electrode 22: Reaction part 24: Supply port 26: Step part 28: Locking part 30, 30a: Regulating means 32: guide hole

Claims (2)

A biosensor that is attached to a sensor mounting opening of a measurement display and measures the amount of a substrate component in a sample,
A substrate made of an insulator, a working electrode provided on the substrate, a counter electrode provided at a certain distance from the working electrode, the working electrode and a reaction part provided on the counter electrode, and a specimen A sensor unit comprising a supply port for introduction to the reaction unit;
A support part comprising an insulator and having a guide hole through which the sensor part is slidably guided;
Comprising
When the sensor unit slides in a direction opposite to the supply port with respect to the support unit , the supply port is accommodated in the guide hole ,
Wherein in a state where the supply opening is accommodated in the guide bore, comprising a restricting means for restricting the sliding of the opposite side in the direction between the supply port of the sensor unit,
The biosensor according to claim 1, wherein the sliding of the support portion toward the supply port is restricted when the measurement display is removed from the sensor attachment opening . 2. The biosensor according to claim 1, wherein the restricting unit includes a stepped portion provided in the sensor unit and a locking portion provided in the support unit and in contact with the stepped portion .

Images