FIELD OF INVENTION

The present disclosure relates generally to electrochemical devices for identifying electroactive analytes and related methods of manufacture and use thereof, and more particularly to devices having high reproducibility and customizable aspects.

BACKGROUND

Carbon nanomaterials, such as graphene or carbon nanotubes (CNTs), are commonly used for electrochemical detection of biomolecules because of their promising electron transfer kinetics, high conductivity, good antifouling properties, and biocompatibility. However, most of the current applications are based on screen printed electrodes (SPE), whereby inks are needed to be made with carbon nanomaterials, and which further requires a surfactant to improve carbon nanomaterial dispersion and mineral binders or insulating polymers to improve the adhesion onto the substrate. In addition, the exact ink formulation are not readily attainable. Moreover, the SPE fabrication method is not suitable for macrostructured materials, such as fibers or the like.

Therefore, the application of carbon nanomaterials using SPE fabrication method has limited choices of materials.

There is need for a new electrochemical sensors fabrication methods with low-cost, high reproducibility but also a customizable design to provide a platform for the application of fiber-like materials. There is a need for new electrochemical sensors that have low-cost, high reproducibility but also achieves a customizable design to provide a platform for the application of fiber-like materials.

SUMMARY OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

An aspect of an embodiment of the present invention provides, among other things, 3D printing technology with carbon nanotube yarns for electrochemical sensing of dopamine in the presence of ascorbic acid and uric acid. An aspect of an embodiment of the present invention provides, among other things, a novel 3D printed electrode that includes a circular concavity detection zone with grooves to insert three electrodes. In an embodiment, the electrode connections are fully compatible with conventional screen printed electrode workstation setups. In an embodiment, the CNT yarn 3D printed electrode showed excellent electrocatalytic activity for the redox reaction of dopamine (DA) in the presence of ascorbic acid (AA) and uric acid (UA). Three well-defined sharp and fully resolved anodic peaks were found with the peak potentials using cyclic voltammetry (CV) at 50 mV, 305 mV, and 545 mV for AA, DA, and UA respectively and using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) at 91 mV, 389 mV, and 569 mV, respectively. DA detection limit was 0.87±0.09 μM. The CNT yarn 3D printed electrode displayed high reproducibility and stability. The electrode design enables the study of electrode reactions at the sidewall of CNTs, which cannot be performed using electrodes made by conventional fabrication methods. An aspect of an embodiment, includes a new fabrication method that provides a new platform to prototype new electrode materials for electrochemistry, thereby providing a low-cost, customizable design compatible with existing screen printed electrodes technology.

An aspect of an embodiment provides, but is not limited thereto, a method of making an electrochemical device for identifying at least one electroactive analyte. The method may include providing a substrate having a sampling end and a connection end; creating a sample region disposed at the sampling end of the substrate; and creating a counter electrode channel, reference electrode channel, and/or working electrode channel disposed in the substrate. An aspect of an embodiment may further comprise placing a counter electrode disposed in communication with the counter electrode channel for alignment therein. An aspect of an embodiment may further comprise placing a reference electrode disposed in communication with the reference electrode channel for alignment therein. An aspect of an embodiment may further comprise placing a working electrode disposed in communication with the working electrode channel for alignment therein. The working electrode may comprise an electron conducting fiber. An aspect of an embodiment may further comprise disposing a conductive lead in communication with each of respective readout ends of each of the counter electrode, reference electrode, and/or working electrode. An aspect of an embodiment may further comprise wherein the conductive lead is configured to communicate with a readout device or other ancillary coupling or transmission channel. An aspect of an embodiment may further comprise, each of respective sample ends of the counter electrode, reference electrode, and/or working electrode are disposed in the sample region configured to be exposed to the electroactive analyte. Moreover, an aspect of an embodiment may further comprise wherein the placing of the of the counter electrode channel, reference electrode channel, and/or working electrode channel includes shaping the counter electrode, reference electrode, and/or working electrode, respectively, within the counter electrode channel, reference electrode channel, and working electrode channel, respectively. An aspect of an embodiment may further comprise wherein the placement for shaping the counter electrode, reference electrode, and/or working electrode includes aligning them for a readout device or other ancillary coupling or transmission channel. Further yet, the creating of the channels may be provided by lithographically contouring the substrate, etching the substrate, molding the substrate, or 3D printing the substrate. Still further, an aspect of an embodiment may further comprise disposing of an adhesive on the counter electrode, reference electrode, and/or working electrode to attach each of the counter electrode, reference electrode, and/or working electrode to each of the counter channel, reference channel, and working channel, respectively. Still further, an aspect of an embodiment may further comprise sealing a portion of each of the counter electrode, reference electrode, and/or working electrode. In an approach, a non-sealed portion is provided whereby the counter electrode, reference electrode, and/or working electrode is configured to be exposed to electroactive analyte in the sample region.

An aspect of an embodiment provides, but not limited thereto, an electrochemical device for identifying at least one electroactive analyte. The device may comprise a substrate having a sampling end and a connection end of the substrate and a sample region disposed at the sampling end. An aspect of an embodiment may further comprise a counter electrode disposed in communication with the substrate, a reference electrode disposed in communication with the substrate, and/or a working electrode disposed in communication with the substrate. In an embodiment, the working electrode may comprise an electron conducting fiber. An aspect of an embodiment may further comprise a conductive lead disposed in communication with each of respective readout ends of each of the counter electrode, reference electrode, and/or working electrode. An aspect of an embodiment may further comprise, wherein the conductive lead is configured to allow the counter electrode, reference electrode, and/or working electrode to communicate with a readout device or other ancillary coupling or transmission channel. An aspect of an embodiment may further comprise wherein each of respective sample ends of the counter electrode, reference electrode, and/or working electrode are partially disposed in the sample region configured to be exposed to the electroactive analyte.

An aspect of an embodiment may further comprise a counter electrode channel, reference electrode channel, and working electrode channel disposed in the substrate, An aspect of an embodiment may further comprise wherein the counter electrode channel, reference electrode channel, and/or working electrode channel are configured to:

accommodate each of the counter electrode, reference electrode, and/or working electrode, respectively, for placement in the respective channels. An aspect of an embodiment may further comprise wherein the counter electrode channel, reference electrode channel, and/or working electrode channel are configured to: shape the longitudinal spans of the counter electrode, reference electrode, and/or working electrode, respectively, within the counter electrode channel, reference electrode channel, and/or working electrode channel, respectively. An aspect of an embodiment may further comprise wherein the placed and shaped counter electrode, reference electrode, and/or working electrode are resultantly aligned for a readout device or other ancillary coupling or transmission channel. An aspect of an embodiment of the electrochemical device may be provided as a kit, wherein the kit may include: a readout device; an ancillary coupling or a transmission channel; or both a readout device and an ancillary coupling or a transmission channel.

An aspect of an embodiment of the present invention provides, but not limited thereto, an electrochemical device for identifying at least one electroactive analyte. The device may comprise: a substrate; a sample region disposed at the substrate; a counter electrode disposed in communication with the substrate; a reference electrode disposed in communication with the substrate; a working electrode disposed in communication with the substrate, and the working electrode comprises an electron conducting fiber. Further, the counter electrode, reference electrode, and working electrode are partially disposed in the sample region configured to be exposed to the electroactive analyte. Further yet, a counter electrode channel, reference electrode channel, and working electrode channel are disposed in the substrate configured to: accommodate each of the counter electrode, reference electrode, and working electrode, respectively, for placement in the respective channels.

An aspect of an embodiment of the present invention provides, but not limited thereto, an electrochemical device for identifying at least one electroactive analyte. The device may comprise: a substrate; a sample region disposed at the substrate; a counter electrode disposed in communication with the substrate; a reference electrode disposed in communication with the substrate; a working electrode disposed in communication with the substrate, and the working electrode may comprise of a variety of fibers, wires, conductors, and materials as desired or required. Further, the counter electrode, reference electrode, and working electrode are partially disposed in the sample region configured to be exposed to the electroactive analyte. Further yet, a counter electrode channel, reference electrode channel, and working electrode channel are disposed in the substrate configured to: accommodate each of the counter electrode, reference electrode, and working electrode, respectively, for placement in the respective channels.

An aspect of an embodiment of the present invention provides, but not limited thereto, a method of making an electrochemical device for identifying at least one electroactive analyte. The method may comprising: providing a substrate having a sampling end and a connection end; creating a sample region disposed at the sampling end of the substrate; creating a counter electrode channel, reference electrode channel, and working electrode channel disposed in the substrate; placing a counter electrode disposed in communication with the counter electrode channel, and wherein the placement aligns the counter electrode;

placing a reference electrode disposed in communication with the reference electrode channel, and wherein the placement aligns the reference electrode; and placing a working electrode disposed in communication with the working electrode channel. Further, wherein the placement aligns the working electrode. Still yet, the working electrode comprises an electron conducting fiber. Further yet, portions of each the counter electrode, reference electrode, and working electrode are disposed in the sample region configured to be exposed to the electroactive analyte.

An aspect of an embodiment of the present invention provides, but not limited thereto, a method of making an electrochemical device for identifying at least one electroactive analyte. The method may comprising: providing a substrate having a sampling end and a connection end; creating a sample region disposed at the sampling end of the substrate; creating a counter electrode channel, reference electrode channel, and working electrode channel disposed in the substrate; placing a counter electrode disposed in communication with the counter electrode channel, and wherein the placement aligns the counter electrode; placing a reference electrode disposed in communication with the reference electrode channel, and wherein the placement aligns the reference electrode; and placing a working electrode disposed in communication with the working electrode channel. Further, wherein the placement aligns the working electrode. Still yet, the working electrode may comprise of a variety of fibers, wires, conductors, and materials as desired or required. Further yet, portions of each the counter electrode, reference electrode, and working electrode are disposed in the sample region configured to be exposed to the electroactive analyte.

It should be appreciated that any of the components or modules referred to with regards to any of the present invention embodiments discussed herein, may be integrally or separately formed with one another. Further, redundant functions or structures of the components or modules may be implemented. Moreover, the various components may be communicated locally and/or remotely with any user/clinician/patient or machine/system/computer/processor. Moreover, the various components may be in communication via wireless and/or hardwire or other desirable and available communication means, systems and hardware. Moreover, various components and modules may be substituted with other modules or components that provide similar functions.

It should be appreciated that the device and related components discussed herein may take on all shapes along the entire continual geometric spectrum of manipulation of x, y and z planes to provide and meet the anatomical, environmental, and structural demands and operational requirements. Moreover, locations and alignments of the various components may vary as desired or required.

It should be appreciated that various sizes, dimensions, contours, rigidity, shapes, flexibility and materials of any of the components or portions of components in the various embodiments discussed throughout may be varied and utilized as desired or required.

It should be appreciated that while some dimensions are provided on the aforementioned figures, the device may constitute various sizes, dimensions, contours, rigidity, shapes, flexibility and materials as it pertains to the components or portions of components of the device, and therefore may be varied and utilized as desired or required.

Although example embodiments of the present disclosure are explained in detail herein, it is to be understood that other embodiments are contemplated. Accordingly, it is not intended that the present disclosure be limited in its scope to the details of construction and arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The present disclosure is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways.

It must also be noted that, as used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Ranges may be expressed herein as from “about” or “approximately” one particular value and/or to “about” or “approximately” another particular value. When such a range is expressed, other exemplary embodiments include from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value.

By “comprising” or “containing” or “including” is meant that at least the named compound, element, particle, or method step is present in the composition or article or method, but does not exclude the presence of other compounds, materials, particles, method steps, even if the other such compounds, material, particles, method steps have the same function as what is named.

In describing example embodiments, terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. It is intended that each term contemplates its broadest meaning as understood by those skilled in the art and includes all technical equivalents that operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose. It is also to be understood that the mention of one or more steps of a method does not preclude the presence of additional method steps or intervening method steps between those steps expressly identified. Steps of a method may be performed in a different order than those described herein without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Similarly, it is also to be understood that the mention of one or more components in a device or system does not preclude the presence of additional components or intervening components between those components expressly identified.

As discussed herein, a “subject” may be any applicable human, animal, or other organism, living or dead, or other biological or molecular structure or chemical environment, and may relate to particular components of the subject, for instance specific tissues or fluids of a subject (e.g., human tissue in a particular area of the body of a living subject), which may be in a particular location of the subject, referred to herein as an “area of interest” or a “region of interest.”

Some references, which may include various patents, patent applications, and publications, are cited in a reference list and discussed in the disclosure provided herein. The citation and/or discussion of such references is provided merely to clarify the description of the present disclosure and is not an admission that any such reference is “prior art” to any aspects of the present disclosure described herein. In terms of notation, “[n]” corresponds to the nthreference in the list. All references cited and discussed in this specification are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties and to the same extent as if each reference was individually incorporated by reference.

The term “about,” as used herein, means approximately, in the region of, roughly, or around. When the term “about” is used in conjunction with a numerical range, it modifies that range by extending the boundaries above and below the numerical values set forth. In general, the term “about” is used herein to modify a numerical value above and below the stated value by a variance of 10%. In one aspect, the term “about” means plus or minus 10% of the numerical value of the number with which it is being used. Therefore, about 50% means in the range of 45%-55%. Numerical ranges recited herein by endpoints include all numbers and fractions subsumed within that range (e.g. 1 to 5 includes 1, 1.5, 2, 2.75, 3, 3.90, 4, 4.24, and 5). Similarly, numerical ranges recited herein by endpoints include subranges subsumed within that range (e.g. 1 to 5 includes 1-1.5, 1.5-2, 2-2.75, 2.75-3, 3-3.90, 3.90-4, 4-4.24, 4.24-5, 2-5, 3-5, 1-4, and 2-4). It is also to be understood that all numbers and fractions thereof are presumed to be modified by the term “about.”

These and other objects, along with advantages and features of various aspects of embodiments of the invention disclosed herein, will be made more apparent from the description, drawings and claims that follow.

