Three dimensional printed mold for electrochemical sensor fabrication, method and related system and devices thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11666263-B2
Application number	US-201716314492-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 16, 2017
Priority date	Aug 16, 2016
Publication date	Jun 6, 2023
Grant date	Jun 6, 2023

Abstract

A method for preparing microsensors (e.g., microelectrodes) suitable for use in electrophysiology and electrochemistry studies in vitro and in vivo is described. The method can involve preparing a polymeric resin-insulated electron conducting fiber using a 3D printed mold comprising one or more channels, wherein each of the channels includes a tapered section. An electron conducting fiber partially enclosed within a metal or glass support can be laid in a channel; and a polymeric resin can be poured into the channel and cured, providing a polymer-insulated electron conducting fiber having a tapered section in proximity to a polymer-free electroactive tip area. For example, the method can be used to provide a polyimide-insulated carbon fiber microsensor. The mold can be used for the batch fabrication of the microsensors. The microsensors themselves, the molds for making the microsensors, and methods of using the microsensors are also described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A microsensor comprising an elongated body, wherein said elongated body comprises a first end, a second end, and a core comprising an electron conducting fiber,
further wherein the elongated body comprises a first length, wherein the first length comprises a tapered section and a tip end,
wherein the tapered section comprises a polymer coating comprising an electronically insulating polymer material that covers the outer surface of the electron conducting fiber, further wherein a first end of the tapered section is directly adjacent to the tip end and wherein the thickness of the polymer coating is thicker at a second end of the tapered section than at the first end of the tapered section, thereby providing a tapered coating layer, and
wherein the tip end comprises an uncoated portion, wherein the uncoated portion consists of an uncoated length of the electron conducting fiber, wherein said uncoated length comprises a terminal end of the electron conducting fiber and wherein said uncoated length is free of a coating layer.

2. The microsensor of claim 1 , wherein the electron conducting fiber comprises a carbon fiber, a carbon nanotube fiber, a carbon nanotube yarn, a carbon nanotube grown metal microwire, a carbon nanospikes grown metal microwire, or a metal fiber.

3. The microsensor of claim 2 , wherein the metal fiber comprises gold, platinum, tungsten, titanium, iridium or steel.

4. The microsensor of claim 1 , wherein the polymeric material of the polymer coating is biocompatible.

5. The microsensor of claim 4 , wherein the polymeric material comprises polyimide.

6. The microsensor of claim 5 , wherein the polymeric coating further comprises a curing agent, a hydrogel, polyethyleneimine, and/or paraffin.

7. The microsensor of claim 1 , wherein the tapered section has a length of about 5 millimeters (mm) or more.

8. The microsensor of claim 1 , wherein the tip end has a length of between about 50 micrometers (μm) and about 50 millimeters (mm).

9. The microsensor of claim 8 , wherein the tip end further comprises a coated section, wherein the coated section comprises a length of the electron conducting fiber covered by the electronically insulating polymer, and wherein the coated section is between the tapered section and the uncoated section of the tip end, and the tip end has a length of about 50 μm to about 50 mm.

10. The microsensor of claim 1 , wherein the electron conducting fiber has a diameter of between about 7 μm and about 50 μm.

11. The microsensor of claim 10 , wherein the electron conducting fiber has a diameter of about 7 μm.

12. The microsensor of claim 1 , wherein the elongated body comprises a second length, wherein said second length comprises a support section, wherein said support section comprises a support material positioned over the outer surface of the electron conducting fiber.

13. The microsensor of claim 12 , wherein at least one length of the support material is positioned over an inside polymer coating, under an outside polymer coating, or between an inside polymer coating and an outside polymer coating, wherein the inside and/or outside polymer coating comprise the same polymeric material as the polymer coating of the tapered section.

14. The microsensor of claim 12 , wherein the support material comprises glass or metal.

15. The microsensor of claim 12 , wherein the polymer coating of the tapered section extends into the second length of the elongated body, and the second length further comprises a non-support section positioned between the support section and the tapered section of the first length of the elongated body, wherein the non-support section comprises the polymer coating and the electron conducting fiber.

16. The microsensor of claim 15 , wherein the non-support section has a length of about 3 mm or longer.

17. The microsensor of claim 15 , wherein the thickness of the polymer coating is approximately the same over the entire length of the non-support section.

18. The microsensor of claim 12 , wherein the support section has a length of about 15 mm or longer.

19. The microsensor of claim 12 , wherein the outer diameter of the support section is about 1.5 mm or less.

20. The microsensor of claim 1 , wherein the length of the elongated body is about 23 mm or longer.

21. The microsensor of claim 20 , wherein the length of the elongated body is about 23 mm to about 200 mm.

22. The microsensor of claim 1 , wherein the microsensor is produced using a mold prepared via a three dimensional printing method.

23. The microsensor of claim 1 , wherein the elongated body comprises two or more electron conducting fibers.

24. The microsensor of claim 23 , wherein each electron conducting fiber has a separate first length comprising a tapered section and a tip end.

25. A method of detecting electrical activity, wherein the method comprises providing a microsensor of claim 1 ; contacting the microsensor to a sample; and detecting an electrical signal using said microsensor.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the sample comprises a cell, a tissue or an organ.

27. The method of claim 25 , wherein the sample is a biological sample.

28. The method of claim 26 , wherein the sample comprises brain or heart tissue.

29. The method of claim 25 , wherein the microsensor is configured for use as a microelectrode, and wherein detecting the electrical activity detects a biological molecule.

30. The method of claim 29 , wherein the biological molecule is a neurotransmitter.

31. A method of detecting a biological molecule, wherein the method comprises providing a microsensor of claim 1 , wherein said microsensor is configured for use as a microelectrode; and detecting the biological molecule using the microsensor.

32. The method of claim 31 , wherein the detecting is performed in vivo and wherein the microsensor is present in a tissue of a living subject.

33. The method of claim 32 , wherein the microsensor is inserted in a brain tissue of a subject.

34. The method of claim 31 , wherein the biological molecule is a neurotransmitter.

35. The method of claim 34 , wherein the biological molecule is a biogenic amine.

36. The method of claim 35 , wherein the biogenic amine is dopamine.

37. The method of claim 31 , wherein detecting the biological molecule using the microsensor is via a cyclic voltammetry technique.

38. The method of claim 27 , wherein the sample is an in vivo biological sample.

39. The microsensor of claim 1 , wherein the second end of the tapered section is positioned at the second end of the elongated body.

40. The microsensor of claim 1 , wherein the elongated body further comprises a second length, wherein the second end of the tapered section of the first length of the elongated body is positioned directly adjacent to the second length of the elongated body.

41. The microsensor of claim 1 , wherein the tip end further comprises a coated section, wherein the coated section comprises a length of the electron conducting fiber covered by the electronically insulating polymer, and wherein the coated section is between the tapered section and the uncoated

Assignees

• Univ Virginia Patent Foundation

Inventors

• Yang Cheng
• Venton B Jill
• Trikantzopoulos Elefterios

Classifications

• A61B5/388

  Nerve conduction study, e.g. detecting action potential of peripheral nerves · CPC title

• A61B5/293

  Invasive · CPC title

• A61B5/283 Primary

  Invasive · CPC title

• H01B3/307

  Other macromolecular compounds · CPC title

• H01B5/14

  comprising conductive layers or films on insulating-supports · CPC title