abstract |
A sensor for the detection and measurement of an analyte in a biofluid. The sensor includes two enzymes. One type of sensor measures the concentration of hydrogen peroxide using a thermostable peroxidase enzyme that is immobilized in a redox hydrogel to form a sensing layer on a working electrode. This sensor also includes a hydrogen peroxide-generating second enzyme which is insulated from the redox hydrogel and electrode. This second enzyme generates hydrogen peroxide in response to the presence of an analyte or analyte-generated compound. The second enzyme may be insulated from the electrode by placement of an electrically insulating layer between the sensing layer and the second enzyme layer. Alternatively, the second enzyme is immobilized in an inorganic polymeric matrix, preferably made using a sol-gel polymerization process. Such matrices include those made of silica. Often, the second enzyme is stabilized by immobilization in a sol-gel. Further stabilization of polyelectrolytic enzymes can be obtained by immobilizing the enzyme with a polyelectrolytic polymer in the sol-gel matrix. |