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Biomedical subjects

W Olthuis

Publications and source records attributed to W Olthuis.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

A miniaturized carbon dioxide gas sensor based on sensing of pH-sensitive hydrogel swelling with a pressure sensor.

A measurement concept has been realized for the detection of carbon dioxide, where the CO(2) induced pressure generation by an enclosed pH-sensitive hydrogel is measured with a micro pressure sensor. The application of the sensor is the quantification of the partial pressure of CO(2) (Pco(2)) in the stomach as diagnosis for gastrointestinal ischemia. The principle is put to the proof by examining the sensor response to changes in Pco(2). Furthermore, the response time, temperature-sensitivity and resolution are determined. The sensor responds well to changes in Pco(2) with a maximum pressure generation of 0.29 x 10(5) Pa at 20 kPa CO(2). The 90% response time varies between 1.5 and 4.5 minutes at 37( composite function)C. The sensor shows a linear temperature-sensitivity which can easily be compensated for, and enables detection of Pco(2) changes as small as 0.5 kPa CO(2).

Biological Assay↗

Study of chemically induced pressure generation of hydrogels under isochoric conditions using a microfabricated device.

A method is proposed to study the behavior of stimulus-sensitive hydrogels under isochoric conditions. Freedom of swell movement of such a hydrogel was restricted in all directions by enclosing the hydrogel between a micropressure sensor and a porous cover. Water and external stimuli can be applied to the hydrogel through the pores of the cover to provoke swelling, which results in pressure generation measured by the pressure sensor. The method was put to the proof by examining the response of a pH-sensitive hydrogel to changes in pH, ionic strength, and buffer concentrations of the surrounding solution. Both equilibrium and dynamic pressure generation were observed. The results show that higher pressures are obtained by incorporating more ionizable groups into the hydrogel network or by lowering the ionic strength of the external solution. Furthermore it was proven that pressures reach equilibrium faster when less titratable groups are incorporated or at the presence of higher buffer concentrations in the surrounding solution. By using microfabrication techniques the dimensions of the hydrogel could be kept small with the advantage that responses are fast. A DMAEMA-co-HEMA hydrogel with 2.5% protonable groups and a thickness of 15 microm generated a Delta pressure of 0.67 x 10(5) Pa in 12 min when a pH step from 9 to 6 was applied. The presented method is a simple and fast manner to characterize the static and dynamic stimulus-dependent behavior of hydrogels.

Chemistry, Physical↗

Highly sensitive glucose sensor based on work function changes measured by an EMOSFET.

In this paper, glucose is potentiometrically measured by using a specific field effect transistor, the EMOSFET. In this device, glucose oxidase is immobilized within a bovine serum albumin matrix, using glutaraldehyde. This layer is deposited on the top of an electroactive Os-polyvinylpyridine layer containing horseradish peroxidase, which is used as the gate material of the FET. The basic principle of the sensor is to measure the glucose concentration by means of measuring the change in the work function of the electroactive gate due to its redox reaction with the H2O2, generated by the reaction between glucose and glucose oxidase. The change in the work function can be detected as a change in the threshold voltage of the FET. Moreover, a measuring mode called "constant current potentiometry" has been applied to improve the sensitivity of the sensor. The sensitivity of the sensor working in this mode is found to be much higher than the Nernstian value. The experimental results show that the detection limit of the sensor can be tuned depending on the value of the applied current and the glucose oxidase concentration in the gate.

Biosensing Techniques↗

A flow-through amperometric sensor based on dialysis tubing and free enzyme reactors.

A generic flow-through amperometric microenzyme sensor is described, which is based on semi-permeable dialysis tubing carrying the sample to be analyzed. This tubing (300 microm OD) is led through a small cavity, containing the working and reference electrode. By filling this cavity with a few microl of an appropriate enzyme solution, an amperometric enzyme sensor results. As the dialysis tubing is impermeable for large molecular species such as enzymes, this approach does not require any immobilization chemistry, and as a consequence the enzyme is present in its natural free form. Based on this principle, amperometric sensors for lactate, glucose, and glutamate were formed by filling cavities, precision machined in Perspex, with buffered solutions containing respectively, lactate-, glucose-, and glutamate-oxidase. All sensors showed a large linear range (0-35 mM for glucose, 0-3 mM for lactate, and 0-5 mM for glutamate) covering the complete physiological range. The lower detection limit was in the order of 15-50 microM. Applicability in flow injection analysis systems is demonstrated.

Biosensing Techniques↗

An integrated micromachined electrochemical pump and dosing system.

In this paper a micromachined electrochemically driven pump capable of dosing precise nanoliter amounts of liquid is presented. The pump consists of a micromachined channel structure realized in silicon by reactive ion etching. On top of this structure a Pyrex((R)) cover piece with noble metal electrodes was bonded. The fluid to be dispensed is stored in a meander shaped reservoir which is part of the channel structure. This meander starts in an electrolyte solution containing reservoir, on top of which two noble metal electrodes are positioned. By the electrochemical production of gas bubbles by electrolysis of water at these electrodes, liquid can be driven out of the meander. The measured volume displacements were in close agreement with theory. Pump rates as low as a few nl/s could accurately be controlled via the actuation current through the electrodes. By applying current pulses rather than a continuous current, preset amounts of fluid in the nanoliter range could be dosed successfully. Because the resulting device consists of simple channel structures and metal electrodes it can easily be integrated in miniaturized chemical analysis systems to dose reagents or calibration solutions.

Journal Article↗

Constructing a Proton Titration Curve from Ion-Step Measurements, Applied to a Membrane with Adsorbed Protein

A new measuring method is described for obtaining a proton titration curve. The curve is obtained from a microporous composite membrane, consisting of polystyrene beads in an agarose matrix, with lysozyme molecules adsorbed to the bead surface. The membrane is incorporated into a sensor system by deposition on a silicon chip with a pH-sensitive ion-sensitive field effect transistor (ISFET) located in the middle of a Ag/AgCl electrode. The actual measurement is performed by creating a stepwise change in the salt concentration of the bathing electrolyte (the ion step) and measuring the ISFET potential versus the Ag/AgCl electrode. This potential shows a transient change in the ion step, which indicates a transient pH change in the membrane. This procedure is repeated at a series of pH values. Equations are presented to calculate the proton titration curve of the membrane from the amplitude and duration of the measured transients. Measurements show qualitative agreement between the curves obtained and equilibrium titration experiments on the same system.

Journal Article↗