Set of luminescence decay time based chemical sensors for clinical applications

We present a sensing scheme capable of measuring the ten parameters most important in analysis of blood gases, electrolytes and enzyme substrates. Detection is based on the variation in the decay time of the luminescence of a single class of luminophores, namely the ruthenium diimine complexes. The resulting family of sensors are operated within a limited range of modulation frequencies and are consistent in terms of spectroscopy, analytical wavelengths and opto-electronic components. Except for oxygen which directly modulates decay time, a specific receptor for each single analyte was placed in close spatial proximity to the luminophore which itself is inert to the analyte. The receptor affects bath the decay time and intensity of luminescence. Sensors are presented for pH, oxygen, carbon dioxide, potassium, sodium, calcium, chloride, ammonia, urea and glucose, and the sensing schemes and respective figures of merit are discussed. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.