A Portable Fill-and-Flow Channel Biosensor with an Electrode to Predict the Effect of Interferences

A portable fill-and-flow channel biosensor with a “predictor electrode” is described. The predictor electrode, on the opposite channel wall and upstream of the detector electrode, allows direct evaluation of the current due to interfering species at the detector electrode. A model is developed which shows that the reaction at the upstream predictor electrode has no significant effect on the concentration distribution of the interfering species at the detector electrode. This enables a straightforward correction of the current at the detector electrode and a determination of the analyte concentration. The effect of interference from ascorbic acid in the detection of glucose in samples was efficiently removed by using such a concept. The recovery of glucose from samples containing ascorbic acid was 103% (s=12%, n=3). The approach was also applied to a biosensor for the determination of glucose in red wine samples containing polyphenolic interferents.