Measuring device using biological cells or chemical biologically active substances contained in an analyte

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The object underlying the invention is therefore to provide a measuring device of the type set forth at the outset, which is compact in size, where the influence upon the medium under investigation by the measuring device is reduced and which, apart from a selective evaluation, also displays a high measuring sensitivity.
This object is accomplished in that provided between the receptor cells and/or target cells and the measurement structure is a structured, microporous interlayer which the target cells and/or receptor cells accept as neighbor for adherence.
Such a sensor, in principle comprising a sensor element on the input side, similar to an electrical discriminator and a transducer composed by the electrical or electronic measurement structure, allows measurements with very high measuring sensitivity.
As a result, animal or vegetable cells as a constituent of the sensor, which are spontaneously adherent or were rendered adherent to the measurement structure, permit a highly sensitive, dynamic substance recognition, since the parallel signal processing mechanisms of the cells are utilized as a discriminator unit.
A further advantage is constituted by the fact that cell membrane-bound receptors after loading with an analyte are immediately recycled by the cells and a new receptor is transported to the cell surface.
This effect can be optimized in a steered fashion by biotechnological measures (e.
g.
by transgenic receptors).
Compared with conventional and also microbial sensors, sensor structures which are highly dynamic and display high sensitivity through the internal signal amplifying mechanism of the cells are possible.
In the measuring device according to the invention, the sensor hence cooperates with the target cells or receptor cells which are arranged directly on the measurement structure and, upon contact with the analyte or medium under investigation, are influenced by certain substances contained therein.
The changes thereby brought about in the target cells or receptor cells are directly measurable by the sensor, so that the electric signal delivered by the sensor allows conclusions to be drawn on the substances and/or cells contained in the analyte