Title of Invention	DEVICE FOR MEASURING MAGNETIC PARTICLES AND CORRESPONDING METHOD
Abstract	The invention concerns a device (10) for the qualitative or quantitative measurement of a magnetically labelled analyte (12). The device (10) includes a coil arrangement (13, 18) for measuring the analyte (12) from a sample absorbed in a test base (11). The coil arrangement includes at least one measuring coil (13) and a reference coil arranged in connection with it. From the signal of the coil arrangement (13, 18) a change in inductance correlating to the content of the magnetically labelled analyte (12) is arranged to be detected. The change in inductance is arranged to be detected from a change (ΔA, Δφ) in amplitude and/or phase appearing in the output signal (32) of the coil arrangement (13, 18}, which is arranged to be measured at the frequency of the input signal (31). In addition, the invention also relates to a corresponding method.

Title of Invention

DEVICE FOR MEASURING MAGNETIC PARTICLES AND CORRESPONDING METHOD

Abstract

The invention concerns a device (10) for the qualitative or quantitative measurement of a magnetically labelled analyte (12). The device (10) includes a coil arrangement (13, 18) for measuring the analyte (12) from a sample absorbed in a test base (11). The coil arrangement includes at least one measuring coil (13) and a reference coil arranged in connection with it. From the signal of the coil arrangement (13, 18) a change in inductance correlating to the content of the magnetically labelled analyte (12) is arranged to be detected. The change in inductance is arranged to be detected from a change (ΔA, Δφ) in amplitude and/or phase appearing in the output signal (32) of the coil arrangement (13, 18}, which is arranged to be measured at the frequency of the input signal (31). In addition, the invention also relates to a corresponding method.

Full Text	The present invention concerns a device for the qualitative or quantitative measurement of a magnetically labelled analyte, which device includes a coil arrangement, formed of at least one measuring coil and a reference coil arranged in connection with it, for measuring the analyte from a sample absorbed in a test base, and from the signal of which coil arrangement a change in inductance correlating to the content of the mag- netically labelled analyte is arranged to be detected. In ad- dition, the invention also relates to a corresponding method. Numerous methods and apparatuses for measuring magnetic parti- cles, for example, in analytic tests, are known from the prior art. For example, Finnish patent number 113297 discloses an idea concerning the use of a so-called astatic coil arrange- ment for measuring an analyte from a sample absorbed in a test base. In it, the coil arrangement is used to detect a change in inductance correlating to the content of a magnetically la- belled analyte. The application of traditional coil technology to such an ar- rangement, however, is associated with significant problems relating, for example, to the sensitivity of the apparatus. Some examples of these are capacitive par-asitic current in the coil loops. Another problem can be mentioned the asymmetry of the coils, which is caused by, for example, the manual winding of the coils. The magnetism of magnetic particles and thus the change in in- ductance they create in a coil system is very insignificant compared, for example, to the error signals caused by the en- vironment or the test base itself. Thus the measurement re- sults obtained using the apparatus leave much to be desired. In addition, due to the test, bases according to the prior art, the reactions of the analyte on the test base take place on a very small scale, due, for example, to expensiveness of the reagents. Therefore the positioning of the test base relative to the device, for example, creates a challenging problem while wrong positioning can distort, the test results. In addi- tion, the test base places special demands particularly on wrapped coil constructions. The solutions disclosed in PCT publications WO - 2005111614 and WO - 2005111615 also make known the application of coil devices in analytic rapid tests. They are based on detecting a change of inductance from a change in resonance frequency. When measuring the change in resonance frequency, the reso- nance peak of the LC circuit changes to a different frequency when the inductance of a coil or the capacitance of a capaci- tor changes. However, the low inductance of the coil creates a problem. Parasitic phenomena of all kinds can easily connect to a coil with a low inductance, and thus they can also be distinguished from the signal measured in the frequency form. PCT publication WO 03/076931 A1 discloses yet another manner of measurement known from, the prior art. It too is based on detecting changes in frequency. Various so-called SQUID-type methods are also known. However, their operating principle, demands operation at very low tem- peratures, at even close to absolute zero. This makes the ap- paratus complicated, for example, in POCT (point of care test- ing) applications. The present invention is intended to create an improved device and corresponding method for measuring a magnetically labelled analyte qualitatively or quantitatively, by means of which substantially more accurate measurement information can be created than when using known apparatuses, based, for example, on coil arrangements operating at room temperature. The char- acteristic features of the device according to the invention are stated in the accompanying Claim 1 while the characteris- tic features of the method corresponding to it are stated in Claim 15. In the device according to the invention, a change in induc- tance is arranged to be detected from a change in amplitude and/or phase appearing in the output signal of the coil ar- rangement, which is arranged to be measured at the frequency of the input signal. According to one embodiment, in order to increase the induc- tive reactance to be greater than the resistance, the measur- ing frequency used in the device is arranged to be 105 - 109 Hz, preferably 106 - 108 Hz. The use of such very high measur- ing frequencies will surprisingly improve the accuracy of the measurement results obtained using the device. According to one more highly developed embodiment, the device can additionally include a coil arrangement compensating for error signals, which can be formed in several different ways. It can be used to compensate, for example, for error signals caused by the environment and/or magnetic particles that are unspecifically bound to the test. base. The reference coil can, for its part, also be used for this compensation purpose. It can be used to compensate for, among other things, error sig- nals caused by the test base. Of course, it should be noted that, in the device according to the invention, the reference coil has other functions too, so that the compensation func- tion referred to in this connection does not in any way ex- clude other functions. The compensating construction can, ac- cording to one embodiment, be implemented, for example, as a differential coil system. One example of this can be an imped- ance bridge. In that case, the measuring coil and the refer- ence coil are in connection with the compensating construc- tion. By means of the device according to the invention, very accu- rate measurement results can be obtained, even in the case of very weak magnetic analytes. The high measuring frequencies applied in the measurement, and the differential coil con- struction mean that the device is eminently suitable for use at even room temperature, in terms of its temperature condi- tions. Compared to the frequency measurements of the prior art, the device and method according to the invention are less sensitive to parasitic phenomena, as they are not distin- guished as easily from the measured output signal, which the phase difference and/or amplitude is measured at the frequency of the input signal. According to one embodiment, the device can also be made very end-user-friendly. If the test base is integrated in interac- tion with the coil arrangement, it will not need to be sepa- rately set to a connection with the coil means. It will then be sufficient for the sample to be placed on the base and the measurement to be performed. As a device embodiment, this can be considered particularly precisely in coils in the micro- size scale and, for example, in Point-of-Care Testing i.e. POCT applications. Other characteristic features of the device and method accord- ing to the invention are stated in the accompanying Claim while additional advantages achieved are itemized in the de- scription portion. In the following, the invention, which is not restricted to the embodiments described in the following, is examined in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figures 1-3 show some possible examples of the coil con- structions to be used in the device accord- ing to the invention, Figure 4 shows a first embodiment of the device ac- cording to the invention, in which a differ- ential coil pair is applied, Figure 5 shows a second embodiment of the device ac- cording to the invention, in which a differ- ential loop coil pair is applied, Figure 6 shows an embodiment, modelled with circuit components, of the device according to the invention, in which the bridge measuring principle is applied, Figure 7 show an example of measuring arrangement ap- plying the bridge measuring principle of Figure 6, Figure 8 shows a third embodiment of the device ac- cording to the invention, in which bridge measuring with the coils being on the same plane, is applied, Figure 9 shows an embodiment of the device according to the invention, in which bridge measuring is applied, and in which at least some of the coils are on different planes, Figure 10 shows an embodiment of the device according to the invention, in which bridge measuring is applied, and in which the coils are in a row on. the same plane, Figure 11 shows an application example of a graph, in which the change in the inductance of a coil, caused by magnetic particles, is meas- ured as an amplitude measurement, Figure 12 shows an example of a standard graph ob- tained using the measuring procedure of Fig- ure 11, Figure 13 shows an application example of the measure- ment of a sample, using the measuring prin- ciple according to Figure 11, and Figure 14 shows an application example of a graph, in which the change in the inductance of a coil, caused by magnetic particles, is meas- ured as a phase-difference measurement. By means of the devices 10 according to the invention and of a measuring method based on them, it is possible to detect the amount of magnetic particles from a test base 11. The measure- ment is based on using a coil arrangement 13, 18 - 20, in the operation of which the presence of magnetic particles will cause a detectable divergence. Figures 1-3 show some simplified examples of the coils 21 suitable for use in devices 10 according to the invention, for the qualitative or quantitative measurement, of a magnetically labelled analyte 12. Figure 1 shows a first example of a coil 21, which can be ap- plied in the device 10. In this case, the coil construction forms a planar rectangular spiral, the number of turns of which is now two. The elongated test base 11 can be positioned quite freely, but in any event asymmetrically, relative to the coil 21, more general, the coil arrangement of the device. In this case, the test base 11 runs across the coil 21, its lon- gitudinal direction being at right angles to the direction de- fined by the contact terminals 14, 15, from which contact ter- minals 14, 15 the coil loop 21 can be connected. An example of the inductance interval of such a coil 21 can be generally 1 pH - 1 mH, more specifically 1 nH - 1000 nH and the resistance interval generally 1 - 100 , more specifically 10 m - 10  (depending on the measuring frequency used). In general, it can be stated that the main effective factor of the resistance and inductance values is the dimensions of the coil. In this case, the reading values given are fitted to the coil dimen- sions referred to later. Figure 2 shows a second example of the coil 21 used in the de- vice 10. As the embodiment shows, the construction of the coil 21 can be very simple indeed. Now the coil is formed of only a single conductor loop, being thus a simplified version of the coil construction shown in Figure 1 . The conductor loop forms a single-winding, planar coil 21, with which an interactive connection can be arranged from the test base 11 with the mag- netic particles 12. In this case too, to the coil loop 21 is connected from contact terminals 14 and 15, which are now on the same side. One example of the inductance interval of the coil loop 21 for such a coil construction can be 1 nH - 20 nH, while the resistance interval can be 1 m - 100 m. Figure 3 shows a third example of the construction of a single coil 21. In this case, the coil 21 is formed of an even sim- pler construction than in the two cases described above. The example shows that the coil 21 can even be formed of a straight conductor structure a conductor beam, which is drawn across the test base 11. Despite the simplicity of the con- struction, this construction too is understood to be still un- disputably a coil, as the conductor beam 21 now forms the coil component in the electrical circuit when it is connected to the electronics. Again, to the conductor 21 can be connected from the con-act terminals 14, 15. One example, of the induc- tance interval with such a construction can be 1.00 pH - 3 nH and the resistance interval 0.1 m - 10 m. Figures 4 and 5 shows some embodiments of devices 10 according to the invention, in which the coil constructions shown in Figures 1-3 can be applied. In the device 10 according to the invention, the coil arrangement, by means of which an ana- lyte 12 is measured from a sample absorbed on a test base 11, includes in its basic form at least two coils 13, 18 formed of conductor structures, the conductor structures of which can be, for example, planar and connected to each other galvani- cally. It should be noted that Figures 1 - 10 do not show, for reasons of simplicity, the insulations possibly required on the circuit board 22, or the equipment relating to the measur- ing electronics, which the implementation of the device 10 in practice requires/may demand. Figure 6 shows such a totality with all its details. The device 10 shown in Figure 4 includes two planar square- spiral shaped coils 13, 18, both of which are next to each other on the same plane and connected in series. The coil 13 is used for the actual measurement and close to it is a coil 18 as a reference for the measuring coil 13, which in this case forms, for its part, a compensating construction. The reference coil 18 fitted in connection with the measuring coil 13 can be, for example, an identical copy of the measuring coil 13, or its mirror image, being aligned symmetrically relative to the measuring coil 13. The use of the identical copy or mirror-image property improves the interference immu- nity of the coil arrangement. The distance between the coils 13, 18 is arranged to be such that they are sufficiently close to each othex" in terms of measurement, but on the other hand, however, in such a way that the magnetic fields of the coils 13, 18 will not significantly interact with each other in terms of the measurement. The coils 13, 18 are wound in the same direction. It should be noted, that the measuring coil 13 and the refer- ence coil form a single compact totality, so that the coil ar- rangement formed by them and the test base 11 set in connec- tion with them interact mutually and the output is a single measurement signal 32, from the change in amplitude and/or phase A,  (delta A, delta phi) measured from which at the frequency of the input signal 31 the necessary conclusions concerning the analyte being examined can be drawn. This sim- plifies the construction and operation of the sensor 10. The reference coil arrangement, which in this case; includes a single reference coil 18, has in the device according to the invention several different implications, which do not exclude each other. A first function of the reference coil is to com- pensate the self-inductance, resistance, temperature depend- ence of the resistance, and capacitance of the measuring coil 13. In general, it is possible to speak of the compensation of the electrical parameters caused by the coil 13 itself and of the changes not caused by those magnetic particles. When the self-inductances of the coils 13, 18 are the same, the differ- ence proportional to the. amount of particles, owing to which the measurement can be said to be differential, will appear in the output of the measuring coil 13 . In addition, the refer- ence coil 18 can also be used for its part to compensate the errors caused by the test base 11 and/or the environment, which also for its part relates to the differential nature of the arrangement. For example:, the unspecifically bound parti- cles in the test base 11, the possible capacitive connection between the turns of the coil and the material of the test base 11, and the capacitive connection between the medium (sample solution, or similar) transporting the samples and particles and turns of the coil, can be classified as errors caused by the test base 11. Sources of error caused by the en- vironment are, for example, the change in resistance caused by temperature variations, error signals induced from the input electronics 23, the Earth's magnetic field, and other distur- bances . The particles 12 on the test base 11 are detected using the measuring coil 13. The measurement can be performed as a so- called intermediate output measurement, from the contacts 15 between the coils 13, 18. The alternating current signal fed from the contacts 14, 16 over the coils 13, 18 sums as zero in the intermediate output 15, if the test: base 11 is particle free. The magnetic field of the measuring coil 13 belonging to the coil arrangement is used to magnetize the particles to be detected, which are made to interact with at least the measur- ing coil 13 of the device 10. The magnetized particles rein- force the measuring coil's 13 own magnetic field, so that the measuring coil 13 sees the change as a change in inductance. As a result of the strengthening of the magnetic field of the measuring coil 13, a voltage, which is compared to the ground of the input signal, proportional to the number of particles, appears in the intermediate output 15. In this connection, it is indeed possible to speak of a differential connection, i.e. the output is: the difference between two signals. Thus, the coil arrangement 13, 18 - 20 of the device 10 can be used to detect a change in inductance corresponding to the content of a magnetically labelled analyte 12, which in the device 10 and method according to the invention is measured from a change in amplitude and/or phase AA, Acp appearing in the output signal 32 of the coil arrangement 13, 18, which is measured at the frequency of the input signal 31. According to one embodiment, this can be measured from the change in ampli- tude and/or phase AA, Acp of the intermediate output 15 of the measuring coil 13 and the reference coil 18. This manner of measurement achieved a particular advantage that will be re- turned to later in this description. The change in inductance is proportional to the number and location of the particles, which are the intended measurement results and from which con- clusions can be drawn concerning the results of the test. In the case of the device according to the invention it is indeed possible to speak of an impedance/inductance sensor, in which the properties of the coil conductor are measured. In Figure 4, the test base 11 is placed on top of only the measuring coil 13. Alternatively, the test base 11 could be arranged over both coil branches 13, 18, as shown by the em- bodiment in Figure 5. There is an electrical connection from the contact terminals 14 - 16 to the measuring arrangement formed by the; coils 13, 18. Figure 5 shows a second embodiment of a differential sensor- loop pair, which is now formed of two single-winding planar coil loops 13, 18 parallel to each other. The construction is slightly simpler than the embodiment shown in Figure 4 and thus more affordable to manufacture. In this embodiment, the test base 11 with the magnetic particles 12 is placed trans- versely on top of both coils 13, 18. Having the test base 11 on top of both coils 13, 18 improves, among other things, the elimination of measurement errors caused by the test base 11. There is a connection to the measuring system from the contact terminals 14 - 16, of which 15 is again a common intermediate output for both coils 13, 18. It should be noted that each coil 13, 18 can also have its own contact terminal 14 - 16, independent of the embodiment. In both embodiments, the measuring coil 13 and the reference coil 18 forming the compensating structure for that thus now form a differential coil arrangement. The reference coil 18 arranged in connection with the measuring coil 13 can be used to measure differentially the amplitude A and/or the phase  of the output: signal 32 correlating to the change in induc- tance of the measuring coil 13. This minimizes the ambient in- terferences and particularly the error signal caused by excess unspecifically located magnetic particles. The device 10 can include even several compensating structures for error signals. The number of structures and their connec- tion to the measuring coil 13 depends on the measuring varia- tions in each case. Figure 6 shows an embodiment of the device 10 modelled with circuit components, in which the bridge measurement principle is applied using four coils 13, 18 - 20. The compensating ad- ditional structures 19, 2 0 02: structure and their placing (for example, symmetry, overlapping) can be used in this case pri- marily to eliminate error signals caused by the environment. These can be caused, for example, by electromagnetic machines and devices and also by the Earth's magnetic field. In addi- tion, bridge measurement permits 'floating measurement', in which the signal is not compared to the ground potential, which might otherwise cause errors. In this case, the compensating structure includes not only the reference coil 18, but at least two additional coils 19, 20. In this case, the measuring coil 13, reference coil 18, and the compensating structure 19, 2 0 are arranged in an impedance bridge relative to each other. In addition, the coils 13, 18 - 20 are also arranged symmetrically relative to each other. In that case, the coils 13, 18 - 2 0 can be, for example, identi- cal copies or mirror images of the measuring coil 13, which properties are used to improve the interference tolerance of the arrangement. The measuring coil 13, reference coil 18, and compensating structure 19, 20 can thus be, for example, the same magnitude of, their inductance, resistance, and/or ca- pacitance. Thus at least: some of their electrical parameters can be of the same magnitude. The application of identical coils allows the sensitivity of the bridge measurement to be considerably increased, as all the impedances will be mainly of the same magnitude. The impedance bridge is thus formed of the measuring coil 13, its reference coil 18, and their compensating coils 19, 20. The test base 11 can be arranged, for example, in the manner shown in Figures 8 - 10, over at least the measuring coil 13 and in this case also the reference coil 18. The rest of the coils 19, 2 0 are for compensation. In Figure 6, the coils 13, 18 - 2 0 are shown depicting their general equivalent circuits (coil L, series resistor R, and parallel capacitor Cp) . The signal source is marked with the reference number 23. Figure 6 also includes some possible ways (CR1 - CR6) of plac- ing the resonance capacitor. One example of a way to arrange the resonance capacitors can be such that: the capacitors are on the input side of the circuit to be connected in series and those on the measuring side to be connected in parallel. The capacitors can also be manufactured together with the coils 13, 18 - 20 on a common base 22. The advantage of this is that it easily achieves a first amplification stage increasing the signal. In the bridge connection, the signal 32 is measured between two separate pairs of coils. The signal 32 obtained from the intermediate output 15 of the measuring coil pair 13, 18 is compared to the intermediate output 17 of the corresponding compensating coil pair 19, 20 without particles, so that it is also possible to speak of a differential measurement. In the same way it is also possible to speak of a 'floating' measure- ment, because the actual output, i.e. measuring signal 32 is compared with the ground potential, which is not in galvanic contact, for example, with the ground potential of the input device 23. Figures 8 - 10 show some possible ways of placing coils 13, 18 - 20 for a four-coil bridge measurement. Figure 8 shows an em- bodiment, in which all the coils 13, 18 - 20 are on the same level, being in a matrix-like formation. In it the measuring coil 13 and the reference coil 18 are aligned symmetrically relative to the measuring-signal conductors 15 and 17. The compensation coils 19, 20 are next to each other like squares on the same level. In addition, they are symmetrical relative to at least one axis with the measuring signal conductors 15, 17 and the first coil pair 13, 18. Because the current leaving the measuring-signal conductors 15, 17 is considerably smaller than the current brought to the input-signal conductors 14, 16, a symmetrical arrangement of this kind achieves a signifi- cant additional advantage, for example, in the compensation of interferences. The symmetrical continuity can extend to the area of influence of the coils 13, 18 - 20. The area of influ- ence of the coils 13, 18 - 20 can be said to end when the am- bient interference becomes dominant. The test base 11 with the magnetic particles 12 is located transversely on top of both coils 13, 18., The input-signal conductors 14, 16 are at the sides of the circuit card and the measuring-signal conductors 15, 17 in the middle on two lev- els. The output signal 32 is measured between the two measur- ing-signal conductors 15, 17 ('Output' in Figure 6). Figure 9 shows another embodiment of the bridge measurement. In it, the coil pairs 13, 18, 19, 20 are on top of each other. In general, it is possible to speak of a layered arrangement, in which at least some of the coils are on a different level to the others. The coils 13, 18 on the same level can then be parallel to each other, such as, for example, symmetrically in pairs. If there is precious little unspecific bonding, there coils 13, 18 - 20 can be singly, as will be described later in greater detail. The measuring coil 13 and the reference coil 18 are once again aligned symmetrically relative to the measuring-signal conduc- tors 15, 17. The input-signal conductors 14 and 16 come at the sides. Unlike the embodiment shown in Figure 8, the compensa- tion coils 19, 20 are now under the measuring coil 13 and the reference coil 18. In this embodiment, the test base 11 with the magnetic particles 12 is located transversely on top of both 'coil stacks'. In this case, the stacked geometry of the coils 13, 18 - 20 minimizes interferences better than in the embodiment shown in Figure: 8. In addition, this embodiment permits a better placing of the coils on the test base 11. This is an advantage, especially when using a Lateral-flow test. Figure 10 shows a third embodiment of bridge measurement, in which the coils 13, 18 - 20 are again, on the same level, but in this base in a row formation. Again, the measuring coil 13 and the reference coil 18 are aligned symmetrically relative to the measuring-signal conductors 15, 17. Also in this case, the input-signal conductors 14, 16 come from the sides. The compensation coils 19, 20 are now at the ends of the coil ar- ray on eitheir side of the measuring and reference coils 13, 18. The test base 11 with the magnetic particles 12 is again located transversely on top of all the coils 13, 18 - 20. One advantage of this construction is a better alignment relative to the test base 11. According to yet another bridge-measurement embodiment, the coils 13, 18 - 20 can also be concentrically on a post. In this case, reference can be made to Figure 9. The signal con- ductors of the measuring and reference coils 13, 18 can, dif- fering from Figure 9, also be run in such a way that if neces- sary insulating material can be removed from around the coils, for example, by milling. In this way, the measuring and refer- ence coils 13, 18 can be made clearly higher that their sur- roundings, such as, for example, other conductors. For exam- ple, the conductor 17 of Figure 9 could be made to run behind and under the conductor 15. The advantage of the construction is a better alignment on some test bases. According to one embodiment, the test base 11 can also be in- tegrated in the sensor structure 13, 18 - 20 on a separate disposable base 22 (Figure 10) . In that; case, at least the measuring coil 13 will be integrate in the immediate vicinity of the test base 11, being attached to or at least very close to it (distance event, independent of the arrangement, it is possible to speak of an interactive connection between the test base 11 and the coil arrangement, at the very least the measuring coil 13. Corresponding ways of arranging the connection of the test base 11 and the coils 13, 18 are also possible in a such de- vice, in connection with which the test base 11 can be brought in a detachable manner. On the same base 22, it. is also possi- ble to integrate some or all of the coils (reference coil 18, compensation coils 19, 20) and/or at least part or even all of the measuring electronics. The integrated disposable base 22 can be connected to the rest of the electronics, for example, galvanically, capacitively, or inductively. As the embodiments described above show, the test base 11 can be located not only parallel to the coil plane (XY plane), but also perpendicularly through the coil plane (Z axis). The test area can also be transverse to the measuring coil 13 (in the XY plane). Irrespective of the degree of integration, the coil arrange- ment according to the invention can be manufactured typically on an insulator or a semiconductor. Such an insulator can be, for example, glass (quartz), plastic (FR4), or a semiconduct- ing oxide (SiO2) . The insulator material used depends on the manufacturing technique. The measuring coil 13, the reference coil 18, and. the possible compensating coils/structures 19, 20 can be made from an electrically conductive metal, such as, for example, copper, aluminium, gold, or silver, but also from other electrical conductors, such as, for example, electri- cally conductive polymers, or a doped semiconductor. To manu- facture the structures, it is possible to use, for example, micro-machining methods, such as, for example, photolithogra- phy, wet or dry etching, doping, metallization, printing elec- tronics, and/or thick-membrane techniques. The structures can also be made using mechanical machining methods, such as, for example, by milling. According to one embodiment, in order to increase the induc- tive reactance of the coil arrangement, such as, for example, of the measuring coil 13, the measuring frequency of the de- vice 10 can be adapted to be higher than the known measuring frequencies of the prior art. One example of such a measuring frequency can be 105 - 109 Hz and more particularly 106 - 108 Hz. At small dimensions 10-7 - 10-1 m, more particularly 10-5 - 10-3 m, of the coils 13 of the device 10, and at high measur- ing frequencies 105 - 109 Hz and more particularly 106 - 108 Hz, a greater sensitivity than that of earlier inductance change measuring devices and methods will be achieved. In the method according to the invention, measurement is performed using the same frequency as the input signal 31 fed to the coil arrangement 10. Though in some cases or in some measuring arrangements the frequency might change, this will not be de- tected, because it is not measured in the case of the inven- tion. Instead of the frequency change, the amplitude A and/or the phase cp of the output signal 32 is measured at the fre- quency of the input signal 31. The test base 11 too can, in terms of the invention, take quite many forms. Some examples of these are the so-called lateral-flow test, the pit test, the capillary, the microflu- idics channel, the micro array, or some other manner of bring- ing the particles to be measured into the vicinity of the de- vice 10. For the transportation of larger numbers of parti- cles, it is possible to use the later-flow test, on account of its simplicity, reliability, and inexpensiveness. A particular positioning precision (distance from the coil 13) is expected of smaller amounts of particles and smaller sensor transport formats. Microfluidics is more suitable than the lateral test and a test base 11 that may be integrated permanently in con- nection with the coil 13 will permit a very high positioning precision relative to the position of the coil 13 and the test base 11 to each other. The diameter of individual particles, which can be defined us- ing the device 10 according to the invention, can be, for ex- ample, in the range 1 nm - 10 m. Of particular interest are the particle clusters, with a diameter that can be, depending on the test base, for example in the range 30 run - 10 m or particularly 100 - 600 run, which are formed, for example, of smaller 5 - 30-nm particles. The amount of magnetite or a cor- responding magnetic material can be, for example, in the order of 1 ng - 1 mg and the corresponding sample volume, for exam- ple, in the range 1 nl - 1 ml. In that case, the number of particles on the test base can be in the range 1 - 1012 parti- cles, more particularly in the range 103 - 1010 (for example, lateral-flow tests) or 1 - 108 (for example, miniaturized di- agnostics) . The minimum and maximum of the size and number of the particles generally depends of the application and the di- mensions of the coil arrangement used. The form of the measuring coil 13, as well as that of the other coil devices 18 - 20 that may belong to the device 10, can be, for example, a polygonal (for example, a square, rec- tangle, triangle, hexagon), or round (for example, a circle, oval, omega), possibly spiral, planar, continuous, electri- cally conductive, current-carrying conductor structure. In the device 10 according to the invention, at least one di- mension of the conductor structure in at least one coil struc- ture 13 is in the order of magnitude range of a few microme- tres to hundreds of micrometres. Thus, for example, the height i.e. the thickness of the conductor (and at the same time the insulation spacing and winding spacing) can be 10-7 - 10-4 m and the width of the conductor 10-6 - 10-4 m. Here, the terms heights and thickness of the conductor refer to the direction perpendicular to the base 22 and the term width to the direc- tion parallel to the plane of the base 22. The scale parallel to the plane (its plane cross-section and/or length and/or width) of each coil 13, 18 - 20 belonging to the device 10 can be, for example, 10-7 - 10-2 m, particu- larly 10-5 - 10-3 m. This is particularly the case in a coil structure formed of several conductors. Depending on the manu- facturing technique, the example of the dimensions parallel to the plane can be 3 mm x 3 mm or 3 00 m x 3 00 m. Correspond- ingly, the spacing of the turns of the coils 13, 18 - 20 can be, for example, 100 m or 10 m. In a coil structure applying the bridge construction, the. distance of the coils 13, 18 - 20 from each other can be 1 - 5 mm, such as, for example 1-3 mm. Thus it is possible to speak generally of macro or micro- coils . The size of the test base 11 and the reaction area in it de- pends on the application used and the number of particles. The lateral-flow test, which is suitable for the transportation of larger numbers of particles, can be, for example, 3-mm wide, 50-mm long, and a few hundreds of micrometres thick. The sur- face area of the test area of a lateral-flow test can be, for example, 3 mm x 1 mm, or 5 mm x 1 mm. In such a test, the par- ticle distribution can be, for example, relatively homogene- ously distribution over the whole thickness of the strip 11. The channel diameter of microfluidics, which is more suitable for the transportation of smaller numbers of particles, can be, for example, about 100 m and the surface area of the test area, for example, about 300 m x 300 m. In a test imple- mented using microfluidics, the particle distribution is in the surface of the test area, for example, or in its immediate vicinity. The dimensions of the coils 13, 18 - 20 have a significant ef- fect on the sensitivity of the measuring system. The embodi- ments shown in Figures 1 - 3 show basic geometries for planar- coils. For reasons of simplicity, only rectangular coil forms are shown in this case. Reference has already been made to other possible coil forms. The number of turns, length, thick- ness, and width of the coils of the embodiments of Figures 1 - 3 can vary relative to each other. The electrical properties of the coils are determined by their geometry and dimensions. Approximate estimates of values, based on the measurements and simulations are given above for the variations (without being- restricted to them) , for the inductance and resistance, the cross-sectional area of a coil made from copper being about 3 6 m x 100 m and the cross-section of the coil being 2-4 mm. in the X and Y directions. The impedance determined, from these depends on the frequency used. The following is a brief description of the operating princi- ple of the device 10 according to the invention and of the corresponding method. The magnetic particles 12 can be brought to the measuring area of the measuring coil 13 using a suit- able test base 11. The particles reinforce the magnetic field in the environment of the coil 13 when they come under the in- fluence of the magnetic field of the coil 13. The coil 13 ex- periences this effect as a change in the relative permeability of the environment (r > 1) , This causes a change (L) in the inductance (L0) of the measuring coil 13 .. L = L0(r-1) XL =DL0 The change (L) of inductance proportional to the number of particles can be detected as a change in the total impedance (Z) caused by the change (XL) in the inductive reactance (XL). This improves the performance of the measurement of the amplitude A and/or phase  at high frequencies. An LC circuit can also be used for the measurement, but in that case, too, the amplitude A (y-axis) and not the frequency is measured. The inductance (for example, 1 - 100 nH) of the coil 13 and its change (for example, about 50 fH - 50 pH) can be detected by measuring the changes A,  in the amplitude and/or phase of the high-frequency voltage, or current signal 31 fed to the measuring coil 13 . The input voltage given by the supply 23 can vary between 0,1 - 10 V, more particularly between 0,5 - 2,5 V, and the input current (impedance) between 0,001 - 10 A, more particularly between 0,05 - 1 A. The frequency of the in- put voltage/current can vary between 10D - 109 Hz, more par- ticularly between 106 - 108 Hz (for example, for micro-coils). As an example of the frequency, reference can be made to the use in one macro-scale pilot device of 5 - 2 0 MHz, more par- ticularly 7 - 14 MHz. The measurement of the change A,  in amplitude and/or phase can be implemented by monitoring the absolute value of the impedance and/or phase cp of the measur- ing coil 13 before and after exposure to the magnetic parti- cles, which monitoring is performed using the frequency of the input signal 31 fed to the coil arrangement 10. The greatest problem in such a measuring arrangement is external interfer- ence, which distorts the measurement results and reduces the reliability of the measurement, but its effects can be sur- prisingly eliminated using the compensating structures 18 - 20. A comparison can be implemented, for example, using the dif- ferential construction shown in Figure 4 and 5, in which the construction is used to compensate the signal from the meas- ured signal caused by the empty measuring coil 13 (impedance of the coil and ambient interference) away at the reference coil 18. Such a differential construction is shown in Figure 4. In it, two identical spiral coils 13, 18 are connected in series and a high-frequency voltage or current signal 31 is fed over the coils, (typical variation intervals of current, voltage, and frequency above). In an ideal situation, it is possible to assume both coils 13, 18 to be completely identi- cal in inductance and resistance. Thus, the voltage over both coils 13, 18 should sum to zero in the intermediate output 15 between the coils 13, 18. The magnetic particles deviated from this state of balance. The unbalance can be measured, for ex- ample as the current/voltage signal 32 of the intermediate output 15. The sensitivity of the devices 10 shown in Figures 4 and 5 can be increased by bringing the coil 13 or the; coils 13, 18 into resonance at a suitable frequency (particularly in the range 106 - 108 Hz) . This can be implemented, for example, using separate LC circuits, by adding suitable capacitors in paral- lel or in series with the measuring coil / coils of the cir- cuit, as shown in Figure 6. The value of such a capacitor is determined from, among other things, the inductance of the coil and the desired resonance frequency. For the frequency range referred to, the capacitance can vary (for example, with a 50-nH coil) between 1 fF - 1 uF, more particularly 50 pF - 500 nF. The measuring sensitivity can be further improved by using the bridge circuit shown in Figures 6 - 10, in which measurement takes place between the intermediate outputs 15. 17 of two differential structures. The use of this construction will achieve more greater sensitivity and interference tolerance. Figure 6 shows a general depiction of an impedance bridge, but also other types of bridge solution may be considered. Figure 6 incudes some possible way of placing the resonance capaci- tors CR1 - CR6. At least some, or even all of these capacitors can be used. The capacitance of the capacitors is determined in a manner that is, as such, known, using the inductance of the coil and the desired resonance frequency as a basis. One example of the capacitance interval can be 1 fF - 1 F, more particularly 50 pF - 500 nF . The signal level of the system can be set to zero by feeding to the output of the system, such as, for example, to the out- put of the bridge measurement, or the output of the differen- tial measurement, a current and/or voltage signal of the oppo- site phase and the same amplitude. Figure 7 shows a simplified example of a measuring circuit, which can be applied in the coil arrangement 10 according to Figure 6. It will be obvious to one skilled in the art, that the measuring arrangement is not intended to restrict the ba- sic idea according to the invention, but is intended only as an example, by means of which measurements according to the invention can be performed. The first amplifier stage 24 shown in Figures 6 and 7 can be, for example, a low-noise (LNA), broadband differential ampli- fier, such as, for example, the Texas Instruments THS7530. In order to maximize noise immunity, the driving and/or the meas- uring side of: the bridge, i.e. the coil arrangement 10, can be made to float with transformers (not shown). After the ampli- fier 24, there can be quadrature detection, in order to elimi- nate low-frequency noise and 50-Hz interference, as well as to permit phase-difference measurements. The quadrature detection can be implemented using mixers 25, 2 6 by mixing the output signal 32 with the sine of the input signal 31 formed by the DDS oscillator 23 (Inphase I) and the cosine formed by the DDS oscillator 27 (Quadrature Q) . The outputs of the I and Q mixers 25, 26 are filtered by low- pass filters 29.1, 29.2, amplified, and fed. to the 16-bit ADC 30. A third DDS oscillator 33 is arranged to eliminate the difference of the coils 13, 18, 19, 20 belonging to the bridge 10, which appears despite the symmetry and manufacturing pre- cision of the measuring bridge. By means of this feedback, an amplitude and phase-controlled equalization signal 34 is fed to the output of the bridge 10. The signal 34 forces the out- put of the bridge 10 to zero, when there are no magnetic par- ticles in the sphere of influence of the coil arrangement 10. In order to reduce the noise level, and prevent feed-through between the modules, the circuit includes the necessary shields and power-supply filters. In addition, each main mod- ule can have its own regulator (not shown). In the concept according to the invention, the output signal 32 should be understood to be the raw signal measured, for ex- ample, directly from the bridge 10, or the raw signal, which is manipulated in a manner that is, as such, known, in order to permit measurement. In an ideal case, the raw signal is di- rectly proportional to the number of particles. Due to the non-idealities of the bridge 10, the output signal of the bridge 10 has generally offset. The offset is removed using a calibration signal 34. After this, the amplified signal is the measuring signal 32, directly proportional to the particles, from which measurement can be performed. Other kinds of signal manipulation will also be obvious to one skilled in the art, without, however, altering the basic idea of the invention. By altering the ratios of the shape and the dimensions (for example, in the plane of the coil) of both the measuring coil 13 and of the reference 18 and/or the compensation coils 19, 20, it is possible to reduce the measuring error caused by er- rors in the placing of the sample, and thus to increase the robustness of the system. It should be further noted that the factor that, in the device 10 according to the invention, the reference of the measuring coil 13 comes directly from the adjacent, reference coil 18 over a galvcinic contact. Through the galvanic contact, the measuring coil 13 and the reference coil 18 can be the same conductor/structure. Even with purely a direct contact between the coils 13, 18, without intermediate electronics will sur- prisingly eliminate interference. For example, errors due to poor components or asymmetry can be eliminated, if the basic construction is arranged to be as symmetrical and unified as possible. Figure 11 shows an example of an application, in which the change in the inductance of the coil arrangement, caused by magnetic particles, is measured as an amplitude measurement. In this case, the amplitude A of the output voltage 32 is measured as a function of the frequency from the intermediate output 15 of the measuring coil 13 and the reference coil 18, in which case the amplitude difference AA relative to the in- put voltage 31 is obtained. The change in inductance, indi- cated by the amplitude difference AA, is converted into an electric signal by feeding a sinusoidal input voltage over the measuring coil 13 and the reference coil 18. The voltage meas- ured from the so-called intermediate output 15 between the coils 13, 18 is determined from the ratio of the impedances (inductances) of the coils 13, 18, and is proportional to the number of magnetic particles. The frequency of the input sig- nal 31, i.e. the frequency at which the output signal 32 is measured, can be, for example, the resonance frequency of the coil system, but the use of other frequencies is also possi- ble. The insert of Figure 11 shows the input voltage as a function of time in a situation, like that in Figure 11. It is also pos- sible for changes in the frequency and/or phase of the signal to occur in such measurements. It should be noted that the signal need not be sinusoidal, but that it can also be, for example, a square wave, a triangular wave, a burst, or some other wave shape obvious to one skilled in the art. Figure 12 shows an example of a typical standard graph ob- tained using the manner of measuring of Figure 11. The change AA in amplitude measured is shown on the vertical axis while the relative number of particles is shown on the horizontal axis. The unit of the vertical axis can be, for example, the volt (V), current (I), or even the bit (Bit), when using an AD converter in the signal processing. As can be seen from Figure 12, the real measurement results follow the great linearity of the logarithmic scale used, the value R2 depicting the devia- tion of the measurement results from the standard graph is 0.99578. Figure 13 shows the content CRP (High-sensitivity C-reactive Protein) in a sample, measured using the measuring procedure of Figure 11. The measured change AA in amplitude is shown on the vertical axis and the CRP content in the sample, propor- tional to the number of magnetic particles, on the horizontal axis. Figure 14 shows an example of an application of a graph, in which, instead of the amplitude A, the phase difference Acp be- tween the input voltage 31 and the output voltage 3 2 is meas- ured. In this case too, the measurement was performed from (intermediate output 15) between the measuring coil 13 and the reference coil 18. In this case too, it is also possible for changes in the frequency and/or the amplitude to occur in the measurement. Instead of being sinusoidal, the signal can also be, for example, a square wave, triangular wave, burst, or some other signal shape obvious to one skilled in the art. In the device 10 according to the invention, it is possible to use almost ideal reference signals, which measure out the background (unspecifically bound magnetic particles) from the sample and remove, in addition, external interferences (for example the Earth's magnetic field). It must be understood that: the above description and the re- lated figures are only intended to illustrate the present in- vention. The invention is thus in no way restricted to only the embodiments disclosed or stated in the Claims, but many different variations and adaptations of the invention, which are possible within the scope on the inventive idea defined in the accompanying Claims, will be obvious to one skilled in the art. We claim : 1. Device (10) for the qualitative or quantitative measurement of a magnetically labelled analyte (12), which device (10) in- cludes a coil arrangement (13, 18), formed of at least one measuring coil (13) and a reference coil (18) arranged in con- nection with it, for measuring the analyte (12) from a sample absorbed in a test base (1.1) , and from the signal (32) of which coil arrangement (13, 18) a change in inductance corre- lating to the content of the magnetically labelled analyte (12) is arranged to be detected, characterized in that the said change in inductance is arranged to be detected from a change (A, ) in amplitude and/or phase appearing in the output signal (32) of the coil arrangement (13, 18), which is arranged to be measured at the frequency of the input signal (31) and the device (10) includes in addition a coil arrange- ment (18 - 20) compensating error signals, for example, for compensating error signals caused by the environment and/or magnetic particles bound unspecifically to the test base (11). 2. Device (10) according to Claim 1, characterized in that, in order to increase the inductive reactance of the measuring coil (13) to be greater than the resistance, the measuring frequency of the device (10) is arranged to be 106 - 108 Hz. 3. Device (10) according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least the reference coil (18) is an identical copy or mirror image of the measuring coil (13). 4. Device (10) according to any of Claims 1 - 3, characterized in that the measuring coil (13), the reference coil (18), and the possible compensating coil structure (19, 20) is arranged to form a differential coil arrangement. 5. Device (10) according to any of Claims 1 or 4, character- ized in that the compensating coil structure includes at least two coils (19, 20), which are arranged symmetrically relative to the measuring coil (13) and the reference coil (18). 6. Device (10) according to any of Claims 1, 4 or 5, charac- terized in that the measuring coil (13), the reference coil (18), and the compensating coil structure (19, 20) are ar- ranged relative to each other in an impedance bridge. 7. Device (10) according to any of Claims 1 or 4 - 6, charac- terized in that the measuring coil (13), the reference coil (18), and the compensating coil structure (19, 20} are of the same magnitude in the case of at least one electrical parame- ter. 8. Device (10) according to Claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the coils (13, 18 - 20) forming the impedance bridge are in a planar matrix formation. 9. Device (10) according to any of Claims 6-8, characterized in that the coils (13, 18 - 20) forming the impedance bridge are in a layered formation. 10. Device (10) according to any of Claims 1 - 9, character- ized in that; the test base (11) is integrated with the device (10), in such a way that it interactively in connection with the coil arrangement (13, 18). 11. Device (10) according to any of Claims 1 - 10, character- ized in that the scale of the coils (13, 18 - 20) in the plane direction is 10-7 - 10-2 m, preferably 10-5 - 10-3 m. 12. Device (10) according to any of Claims 1 - 11, character- ized in that the coils (13, 18 - 20) are arranged to form a conductor structure, in which the thickness of the conductor- is 10-7 - 10-4 m and the width 10-6 - 10-4 m. 13. Device according to any of Claims 1 - 12, characterized in that the measuring coil (13) and the reference coil (18) are aligned symmetrically relative to the measuring-signal conduc- tors (15, 17) . 14. Method for the qualitative or quantitative measurement of an analyte (12), in which a test base (11) is used to measure the analyte (12), and in which method - a sample is absorbed into the test base (11), and - the test base (11) is analysed using a coil ar- rangement (13, 18 - 20), from the signal (32) of which a change in inductance correlating to the con- tent of the magnetically labelled analyte (12) is de- tected, characterized in that the change in inductance is detected from a change (A, ) in amplitude and/or phase appearing in the output signal (32) of the coil arrangement (13, 18 - 20), which is measured at the frequency of the input signal (31) and, in addition, error signals caused by the environment and/or magneitic particles bound unspecifically to the test base (11) are compensated by a coil arrangement (18 - 20). 15. Method according to Claim 14, characterized in that the coil arrangement includes at least one measuring coil (13) and a reference coil (18) arranged in connection with it, and in order to increase the inductive reactance of the measuring coil (13) to be greater than the resistance, the measurement is performed using a measuring frequency of 106 - 108 Hz. 16. Method according to Claim 15, characterized in that the compensation is performed using a differential coil arrange- ment . 17. Method according to any of Claims 14 - 16, characterized in that in the method the sample is absorbed to a test base (11), which is integrated interactively with at least part of the coil arrangement (13, 18 - 20). 18. A device for the qualitative or quantitative measurement of a magnetically labelled analyte, substantially as hereinbefore described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings. 19. A method for the qualitative or quantitative measurement of a magnetically labelled anaiyte, substantially as hereinbefore described particularly with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples included herein. The invention concerns a device (10) for the qualitative or quantitative measurement of a magnetically labelled analyte (12). The device (10) includes a coil arrangement (13, 18) for measuring the analyte (12) from a sample absorbed in a test base (11). The coil arrangement includes at least one measuring coil (13) and a reference coil arranged in connection with it. From the signal of the coil arrangement (13, 18) a change in inductance correlating to the content of the magnetically labelled analyte (12) is arranged to be detected. The change in inductance is arranged to be detected from a change (ΔA, Δφ) in amplitude and/or phase appearing in the output signal (32) of the coil arrangement (13, 18}, which is arranged to be measured at the frequency of the input signal (31). In addition, the invention also relates to a corresponding method.

Full Text

The present invention concerns a device for the qualitative or
quantitative measurement of a magnetically labelled analyte,
which device includes a coil arrangement, formed of at least
one measuring coil and a reference coil arranged in connection
with it, for measuring the analyte from a sample absorbed in a
test base, and from the signal of which coil arrangement a
change in inductance correlating to the content of the mag-
netically labelled analyte is arranged to be detected. In ad-
dition, the invention also relates to a corresponding method.
Numerous methods and apparatuses for measuring magnetic parti-
cles, for example, in analytic tests, are known from the prior
art. For example, Finnish patent number 113297 discloses an
idea concerning the use of a so-called astatic coil arrange-
ment for measuring an analyte from a sample absorbed in a test
base. In it, the coil arrangement is used to detect a change
in inductance correlating to the content of a magnetically la-
belled analyte.
The application of traditional coil technology to such an ar-
rangement, however, is associated with significant problems
relating, for example, to the sensitivity of the apparatus.
Some examples of these are capacitive par-asitic current in the
coil loops. Another problem can be mentioned the asymmetry of
the coils, which is caused by, for example, the manual winding
of the coils.
The magnetism of magnetic particles and thus the change in in-
ductance they create in a coil system is very insignificant
compared, for example, to the error signals caused by the en-
vironment or the test base itself. Thus the measurement re-
sults obtained using the apparatus leave much to be desired.

In addition, due to the test, bases according to the prior art,
the reactions of the analyte on the test base take place on a
very small scale, due, for example, to expensiveness of the
reagents. Therefore the positioning of the test base relative
to the device, for example, creates a challenging problem
while wrong positioning can distort, the test results. In addi-
tion, the test base places special demands particularly on
wrapped coil constructions.
The solutions disclosed in PCT publications WO - 2005111614
and WO - 2005111615 also make known the application of coil
devices in analytic rapid tests. They are based on detecting a
change of inductance from a change in resonance frequency.
When measuring the change in resonance frequency, the reso-
nance peak of the LC circuit changes to a different frequency
when the inductance of a coil or the capacitance of a capaci-
tor changes. However, the low inductance of the coil creates a
problem. Parasitic phenomena of all kinds can easily connect
to a coil with a low inductance, and thus they can also be
distinguished from the signal measured in the frequency form.
PCT publication WO 03/076931 A1 discloses yet another manner
of measurement known from, the prior art. It too is based on
detecting changes in frequency.
Various so-called SQUID-type methods are also known. However,
their operating principle, demands operation at very low tem-
peratures, at even close to absolute zero. This makes the ap-
paratus complicated, for example, in POCT (point of care test-
ing) applications.
The present invention is intended to create an improved device
and corresponding method for measuring a magnetically labelled
analyte qualitatively or quantitatively, by means of which

substantially more accurate measurement information can be
created than when using known apparatuses, based, for example,
on coil arrangements operating at room temperature. The char-
acteristic features of the device according to the invention
are stated in the accompanying Claim 1 while the characteris-
tic features of the method corresponding to it are stated in
Claim 15.
In the device according to the invention, a change in induc-
tance is arranged to be detected from a change in amplitude
and/or phase appearing in the output signal of the coil ar-
rangement, which is arranged to be measured at the frequency
of the input signal.
According to one embodiment, in order to increase the induc-
tive reactance to be greater than the resistance, the measur-
ing frequency used in the device is arranged to be 105 - 109
Hz, preferably 106 - 108 Hz. The use of such very high measur-
ing frequencies will surprisingly improve the accuracy of the
measurement results obtained using the device.
According to one more highly developed embodiment, the device
can additionally include a coil arrangement compensating for
error signals, which can be formed in several different ways.
It can be used to compensate, for example, for error signals
caused by the environment and/or magnetic particles that are
unspecifically bound to the test. base. The reference coil can,
for its part, also be used for this compensation purpose. It
can be used to compensate for, among other things, error sig-
nals caused by the test base. Of course, it should be noted
that, in the device according to the invention, the reference
coil has other functions too, so that the compensation func-
tion referred to in this connection does not in any way ex-
clude other functions. The compensating construction can, ac-
cording to one embodiment, be implemented, for example, as a

differential coil system. One example of this can be an imped-
ance bridge. In that case, the measuring coil and the refer-
ence coil are in connection with the compensating construc-
tion.
By means of the device according to the invention, very accu-
rate measurement results can be obtained, even in the case of
very weak magnetic analytes. The high measuring frequencies
applied in the measurement, and the differential coil con-
struction mean that the device is eminently suitable for use
at even room temperature, in terms of its temperature condi-
tions. Compared to the frequency measurements of the prior
art, the device and method according to the invention are less
sensitive to parasitic phenomena, as they are not distin-
guished as easily from the measured output signal, which the
phase difference and/or amplitude is measured at the frequency
of the input signal.
According to one embodiment, the device can also be made very
end-user-friendly. If the test base is integrated in interac-
tion with the coil arrangement, it will not need to be sepa-
rately set to a connection with the coil means. It will then
be sufficient for the sample to be placed on the base and the
measurement to be performed. As a device embodiment, this can
be considered particularly precisely in coils in the micro-
size scale and, for example, in Point-of-Care Testing i.e.
POCT applications.
Other characteristic features of the device and method accord-
ing to the invention are stated in the accompanying Claim
while additional advantages achieved are itemized in the de-
scription portion.
In the following, the invention, which is not restricted to
the embodiments described in the following, is examined in

greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which
Figures 1-3 show some possible examples of the coil con-
structions to be used in the device accord-
ing to the invention,
Figure 4 shows a first embodiment of the device ac-
cording to the invention, in which a differ-
ential coil pair is applied,
Figure 5 shows a second embodiment of the device ac-
cording to the invention, in which a differ-
ential loop coil pair is applied,
Figure 6 shows an embodiment, modelled with circuit
components, of the device according to the
invention, in which the bridge measuring
principle is applied,
Figure 7 show an example of measuring arrangement ap-
plying the bridge measuring principle of
Figure 6,
Figure 8 shows a third embodiment of the device ac-
cording to the invention, in which bridge
measuring with the coils being on the same
plane, is applied,
Figure 9 shows an embodiment of the device according
to the invention, in which bridge measuring
is applied, and in which at least some of
the coils are on different planes,
Figure 10 shows an embodiment of the device according
to the invention, in which bridge measuring
is applied, and in which the coils are in a
row on. the same plane,
Figure 11 shows an application example of a graph, in
which the change in the inductance of a
coil, caused by magnetic particles, is meas-
ured as an amplitude measurement,

Figure 12 shows an example of a standard graph ob-
tained using the measuring procedure of Fig-
ure 11,
Figure 13 shows an application example of the measure-
ment of a sample, using the measuring prin-
ciple according to Figure 11, and
Figure 14 shows an application example of a graph, in
which the change in the inductance of a
coil, caused by magnetic particles, is meas-
ured as a phase-difference measurement.
By means of the devices 10 according to the invention and of a
measuring method based on them, it is possible to detect the
amount of magnetic particles from a test base 11. The measure-
ment is based on using a coil arrangement 13, 18 - 20, in the
operation of which the presence of magnetic particles will
cause a detectable divergence.
Figures 1-3 show some simplified examples of the coils 21
suitable for use in devices 10 according to the invention, for
the qualitative or quantitative measurement, of a magnetically
labelled analyte 12.
Figure 1 shows a first example of a coil 21, which can be ap-
plied in the device 10. In this case, the coil construction
forms a planar rectangular spiral, the number of turns of
which is now two. The elongated test base 11 can be positioned
quite freely, but in any event asymmetrically, relative to the
coil 21, more general, the coil arrangement of the device. In
this case, the test base 11 runs across the coil 21, its lon-
gitudinal direction being at right angles to the direction de-
fined by the contact terminals 14, 15, from which contact ter-
minals 14, 15 the coil loop 21 can be connected. An example of
the inductance interval of such a coil 21 can be generally 1
pH - 1 mH, more specifically 1 nH - 1000 nH and the resistance

interval generally 1 - 100 , more specifically 10 m - 10 
(depending on the measuring frequency used). In general, it
can be stated that the main effective factor of the resistance
and inductance values is the dimensions of the coil. In this
case, the reading values given are fitted to the coil dimen-
sions referred to later.
Figure 2 shows a second example of the coil 21 used in the de-
vice 10. As the embodiment shows, the construction of the coil
21 can be very simple indeed. Now the coil is formed of only a
single conductor loop, being thus a simplified version of the
coil construction shown in Figure 1 . The conductor loop forms
a single-winding, planar coil 21, with which an interactive
connection can be arranged from the test base 11 with the mag-
netic particles 12. In this case too, to the coil loop 21 is
connected from contact terminals 14 and 15, which are now on
the same side. One example of the inductance interval of the
coil loop 21 for such a coil construction can be 1 nH - 20 nH,
while the resistance interval can be 1 m - 100 m.
Figure 3 shows a third example of the construction of a single
coil 21. In this case, the coil 21 is formed of an even sim-
pler construction than in the two cases described above. The
example shows that the coil 21 can even be formed of a
straight conductor structure a conductor beam, which is drawn
across the test base 11. Despite the simplicity of the con-
struction, this construction too is understood to be still un-
disputably a coil, as the conductor beam 21 now forms the coil
component in the electrical circuit when it is connected to
the electronics. Again, to the conductor 21 can be connected
from the con-act terminals 14, 15. One example, of the induc-
tance interval with such a construction can be 1.00 pH - 3 nH
and the resistance interval 0.1 m - 10 m.

Figures 4 and 5 shows some embodiments of devices 10 according
to the invention, in which the coil constructions shown in
Figures 1-3 can be applied. In the device 10 according to
the invention, the coil arrangement, by means of which an ana-
lyte 12 is measured from a sample absorbed on a test base 11,
includes in its basic form at least two coils 13, 18 formed of
conductor structures, the conductor structures of which can
be, for example, planar and connected to each other galvani-
cally. It should be noted that Figures 1 - 10 do not show, for
reasons of simplicity, the insulations possibly required on
the circuit board 22, or the equipment relating to the measur-
ing electronics, which the implementation of the device 10 in
practice requires/may demand. Figure 6 shows such a totality
with all its details.
The device 10 shown in Figure 4 includes two planar square-
spiral shaped coils 13, 18, both of which are next to each
other on the same plane and connected in series. The coil 13
is used for the actual measurement and close to it is a coil
18 as a reference for the measuring coil 13, which in this
case forms, for its part, a compensating construction. The
reference coil 18 fitted in connection with the measuring coil
13 can be, for example, an identical copy of the measuring
coil 13, or its mirror image, being aligned symmetrically
relative to the measuring coil 13. The use of the identical
copy or mirror-image property improves the interference immu-
nity of the coil arrangement. The distance between the coils
13, 18 is arranged to be such that they are sufficiently close
to each othex" in terms of measurement, but on the other hand,
however, in such a way that the magnetic fields of the coils
13, 18 will not significantly interact with each other in
terms of the measurement. The coils 13, 18 are wound in the
same direction.

It should be noted, that the measuring coil 13 and the refer-
ence coil form a single compact totality, so that the coil ar-
rangement formed by them and the test base 11 set in connec-
tion with them interact mutually and the output is a single
measurement signal 32, from the change in amplitude and/or
phase A,  (delta A, delta phi) measured from which at the
frequency of the input signal 31 the necessary conclusions
concerning the analyte being examined can be drawn. This sim-
plifies the construction and operation of the sensor 10.
The reference coil arrangement, which in this case; includes a
single reference coil 18, has in the device according to the
invention several different implications, which do not exclude
each other. A first function of the reference coil is to com-
pensate the self-inductance, resistance, temperature depend-
ence of the resistance, and capacitance of the measuring coil
13. In general, it is possible to speak of the compensation of
the electrical parameters caused by the coil 13 itself and of
the changes not caused by those magnetic particles. When the
self-inductances of the coils 13, 18 are the same, the differ-
ence proportional to the. amount of particles, owing to which
the measurement can be said to be differential, will appear in
the output of the measuring coil 13 . In addition, the refer-
ence coil 18 can also be used for its part to compensate the
errors caused by the test base 11 and/or the environment,
which also for its part relates to the differential nature of
the arrangement. For example:, the unspecifically bound parti-
cles in the test base 11, the possible capacitive connection
between the turns of the coil and the material of the test
base 11, and the capacitive connection between the medium
(sample solution, or similar) transporting the samples and
particles and turns of the coil, can be classified as errors
caused by the test base 11. Sources of error caused by the en-
vironment are, for example, the change in resistance caused by
temperature variations, error signals induced from the input

electronics 23, the Earth's magnetic field, and other distur-
bances .
The particles 12 on the test base 11 are detected using the
measuring coil 13. The measurement can be performed as a so-
called intermediate output measurement, from the contacts 15
between the coils 13, 18. The alternating current signal fed
from the contacts 14, 16 over the coils 13, 18 sums as zero in
the intermediate output 15, if the test: base 11 is particle
free. The magnetic field of the measuring coil 13 belonging to
the coil arrangement is used to magnetize the particles to be
detected, which are made to interact with at least the measur-
ing coil 13 of the device 10. The magnetized particles rein-
force the measuring coil's 13 own magnetic field, so that the
measuring coil 13 sees the change as a change in inductance.
As a result of the strengthening of the magnetic field of the
measuring coil 13, a voltage, which is compared to the ground
of the input signal, proportional to the number of particles,
appears in the intermediate output 15. In this connection, it
is indeed possible to speak of a differential connection, i.e.
the output is: the difference between two signals.
Thus, the coil arrangement 13, 18 - 20 of the device 10 can be
used to detect a change in inductance corresponding to the
content of a magnetically labelled analyte 12, which in the
device 10 and method according to the invention is measured
from a change in amplitude and/or phase AA, Acp appearing in
the output signal 32 of the coil arrangement 13, 18, which is
measured at the frequency of the input signal 31. According to
one embodiment, this can be measured from the change in ampli-
tude and/or phase AA, Acp of the intermediate output 15 of the
measuring coil 13 and the reference coil 18. This manner of
measurement achieved a particular advantage that will be re-
turned to later in this description. The change in inductance
is proportional to the number and location of the particles,

which are the intended measurement results and from which con-
clusions can be drawn concerning the results of the test. In
the case of the device according to the invention it is indeed
possible to speak of an impedance/inductance sensor, in which
the properties of the coil conductor are measured.
In Figure 4, the test base 11 is placed on top of only the
measuring coil 13. Alternatively, the test base 11 could be
arranged over both coil branches 13, 18, as shown by the em-
bodiment in Figure 5. There is an electrical connection from
the contact terminals 14 - 16 to the measuring arrangement
formed by the; coils 13, 18.
Figure 5 shows a second embodiment of a differential sensor-
loop pair, which is now formed of two single-winding planar
coil loops 13, 18 parallel to each other. The construction is
slightly simpler than the embodiment shown in Figure 4 and
thus more affordable to manufacture. In this embodiment, the
test base 11 with the magnetic particles 12 is placed trans-
versely on top of both coils 13, 18. Having the test base 11
on top of both coils 13, 18 improves, among other things, the
elimination of measurement errors caused by the test base 11.
There is a connection to the measuring system from the contact
terminals 14 - 16, of which 15 is again a common intermediate
output for both coils 13, 18. It should be noted that each
coil 13, 18 can also have its own contact terminal 14 - 16,
independent of the embodiment.
In both embodiments, the measuring coil 13 and the reference
coil 18 forming the compensating structure for that thus now
form a differential coil arrangement. The reference coil 18
arranged in connection with the measuring coil 13 can be used
to measure differentially the amplitude A and/or the phase 
of the output: signal 32 correlating to the change in induc-
tance of the measuring coil 13. This minimizes the ambient in-

terferences and particularly the error signal caused by excess
unspecifically located magnetic particles.
The device 10 can include even several compensating structures
for error signals. The number of structures and their connec-
tion to the measuring coil 13 depends on the measuring varia-
tions in each case.
Figure 6 shows an embodiment of the device 10 modelled with
circuit components, in which the bridge measurement principle
is applied using four coils 13, 18 - 20. The compensating ad-
ditional structures 19, 2 0 02: structure and their placing (for
example, symmetry, overlapping) can be used in this case pri-
marily to eliminate error signals caused by the environment.
These can be caused, for example, by electromagnetic machines
and devices and also by the Earth's magnetic field. In addi-
tion, bridge measurement permits 'floating measurement', in
which the signal is not compared to the ground potential,
which might otherwise cause errors.
In this case, the compensating structure includes not only the
reference coil 18, but at least two additional coils 19, 20.
In this case, the measuring coil 13, reference coil 18, and
the compensating structure 19, 2 0 are arranged in an impedance
bridge relative to each other. In addition, the coils 13, 18 -
20 are also arranged symmetrically relative to each other. In
that case, the coils 13, 18 - 2 0 can be, for example, identi-
cal copies or mirror images of the measuring coil 13, which
properties are used to improve the interference tolerance of
the arrangement. The measuring coil 13, reference coil 18, and
compensating structure 19, 20 can thus be, for example, the
same magnitude of, their inductance, resistance, and/or ca-
pacitance. Thus at least: some of their electrical parameters
can be of the same magnitude. The application of identical
coils allows the sensitivity of the bridge measurement to be

considerably increased, as all the impedances will be mainly
of the same magnitude.
The impedance bridge is thus formed of the measuring coil 13,
its reference coil 18, and their compensating coils 19, 20.
The test base 11 can be arranged, for example, in the manner
shown in Figures 8 - 10, over at least the measuring coil 13
and in this case also the reference coil 18. The rest of the
coils 19, 2 0 are for compensation. In Figure 6, the coils 13,
18 - 2 0 are shown depicting their general equivalent circuits
(coil L, series resistor R, and parallel capacitor Cp) . The
signal source is marked with the reference number 23.
Figure 6 also includes some possible ways (CR1 - CR6) of plac-
ing the resonance capacitor. One example of a way to arrange
the resonance capacitors can be such that: the capacitors are
on the input side of the circuit to be connected in series and
those on the measuring side to be connected in parallel. The
capacitors can also be manufactured together with the coils
13, 18 - 20 on a common base 22. The advantage of this is that
it easily achieves a first amplification stage increasing the
signal.
In the bridge connection, the signal 32 is measured between
two separate pairs of coils. The signal 32 obtained from the
intermediate output 15 of the measuring coil pair 13, 18 is
compared to the intermediate output 17 of the corresponding
compensating coil pair 19, 20 without particles, so that it is
also possible to speak of a differential measurement. In the
same way it is also possible to speak of a 'floating' measure-
ment, because the actual output, i.e. measuring signal 32 is
compared with the ground potential, which is not in galvanic
contact, for example, with the ground potential of the input
device 23.

Figures 8 - 10 show some possible ways of placing coils 13, 18
- 20 for a four-coil bridge measurement. Figure 8 shows an em-
bodiment, in which all the coils 13, 18 - 20 are on the same
level, being in a matrix-like formation. In it the measuring
coil 13 and the reference coil 18 are aligned symmetrically
relative to the measuring-signal conductors 15 and 17. The
compensation coils 19, 20 are next to each other like squares
on the same level. In addition, they are symmetrical relative
to at least one axis with the measuring signal conductors 15,
17 and the first coil pair 13, 18. Because the current leaving
the measuring-signal conductors 15, 17 is considerably smaller
than the current brought to the input-signal conductors 14,
16, a symmetrical arrangement of this kind achieves a signifi-
cant additional advantage, for example, in the compensation of
interferences. The symmetrical continuity can extend to the
area of influence of the coils 13, 18 - 20. The area of influ-
ence of the coils 13, 18 - 20 can be said to end when the am-
bient interference becomes dominant.
The test base 11 with the magnetic particles 12 is located
transversely on top of both coils 13, 18., The input-signal
conductors 14, 16 are at the sides of the circuit card and the
measuring-signal conductors 15, 17 in the middle on two lev-
els. The output signal 32 is measured between the two measur-
ing-signal conductors 15, 17 ('Output' in Figure 6).
Figure 9 shows another embodiment of the bridge measurement.
In it, the coil pairs 13, 18, 19, 20 are on top of each other.
In general, it is possible to speak of a layered arrangement,
in which at least some of the coils are on a different level
to the others. The coils 13, 18 on the same level can then be
parallel to each other, such as, for example, symmetrically in
pairs. If there is precious little unspecific bonding, there
coils 13, 18 - 20 can be singly, as will be described later in
greater detail.

The measuring coil 13 and the reference coil 18 are once again
aligned symmetrically relative to the measuring-signal conduc-
tors 15, 17. The input-signal conductors 14 and 16 come at the
sides. Unlike the embodiment shown in Figure 8, the compensa-
tion coils 19, 20 are now under the measuring coil 13 and the
reference coil 18. In this embodiment, the test base 11 with
the magnetic particles 12 is located transversely on top of
both 'coil stacks'. In this case, the stacked geometry of the
coils 13, 18 - 20 minimizes interferences better than in the
embodiment shown in Figure: 8. In addition, this embodiment
permits a better placing of the coils on the test base 11.
This is an advantage, especially when using a Lateral-flow
test.
Figure 10 shows a third embodiment of bridge measurement, in
which the coils 13, 18 - 20 are again, on the same level, but
in this base in a row formation. Again, the measuring coil 13
and the reference coil 18 are aligned symmetrically relative
to the measuring-signal conductors 15, 17. Also in this case,
the input-signal conductors 14, 16 come from the sides. The
compensation coils 19, 20 are now at the ends of the coil ar-
ray on eitheir side of the measuring and reference coils 13,
18. The test base 11 with the magnetic particles 12 is again
located transversely on top of all the coils 13, 18 - 20. One
advantage of this construction is a better alignment relative
to the test base 11.
According to yet another bridge-measurement embodiment, the
coils 13, 18 - 20 can also be concentrically on a post. In
this case, reference can be made to Figure 9. The signal con-
ductors of the measuring and reference coils 13, 18 can, dif-
fering from Figure 9, also be run in such a way that if neces-
sary insulating material can be removed from around the coils,
for example, by milling. In this way, the measuring and refer-

ence coils 13, 18 can be made clearly higher that their sur-
roundings, such as, for example, other conductors. For exam-
ple, the conductor 17 of Figure 9 could be made to run behind
and under the conductor 15. The advantage of the construction
is a better alignment on some test bases.
According to one embodiment, the test base 11 can also be in-
tegrated in the sensor structure 13, 18 - 20 on a separate
disposable base 22 (Figure 10) . In that; case, at least the
measuring coil 13 will be integrate in the immediate vicinity
of the test base 11, being attached to or at least very close
to it (distance event, independent of the arrangement, it is possible to speak
of an interactive connection between the test base 11 and the
coil arrangement, at the very least the measuring coil 13.
Corresponding ways of arranging the connection of the test
base 11 and the coils 13, 18 are also possible in a such de-
vice, in connection with which the test base 11 can be brought
in a detachable manner. On the same base 22, it. is also possi-
ble to integrate some or all of the coils (reference coil 18,
compensation coils 19, 20) and/or at least part or even all of
the measuring electronics. The integrated disposable base 22
can be connected to the rest of the electronics, for example,
galvanically, capacitively, or inductively.
As the embodiments described above show, the test base 11 can
be located not only parallel to the coil plane (XY plane), but
also perpendicularly through the coil plane (Z axis). The test
area can also be transverse to the measuring coil 13 (in the
XY plane).
Irrespective of the degree of integration, the coil arrange-
ment according to the invention can be manufactured typically
on an insulator or a semiconductor. Such an insulator can be,
for example, glass (quartz), plastic (FR4), or a semiconduct-

ing oxide (SiO2) . The insulator material used depends on the
manufacturing technique. The measuring coil 13, the reference
coil 18, and. the possible compensating coils/structures 19, 20
can be made from an electrically conductive metal, such as,
for example, copper, aluminium, gold, or silver, but also from
other electrical conductors, such as, for example, electri-
cally conductive polymers, or a doped semiconductor. To manu-
facture the structures, it is possible to use, for example,
micro-machining methods, such as, for example, photolithogra-
phy, wet or dry etching, doping, metallization, printing elec-
tronics, and/or thick-membrane techniques. The structures can
also be made using mechanical machining methods, such as, for
example, by milling.
According to one embodiment, in order to increase the induc-
tive reactance of the coil arrangement, such as, for example,
of the measuring coil 13, the measuring frequency of the de-
vice 10 can be adapted to be higher than the known measuring
frequencies of the prior art. One example of such a measuring
frequency can be 105 - 109 Hz and more particularly 106 - 108
Hz. At small dimensions 10-7 - 10-1 m, more particularly 10-5 -
10-3 m, of the coils 13 of the device 10, and at high measur-
ing frequencies 105 - 109 Hz and more particularly 106 - 108
Hz, a greater sensitivity than that of earlier inductance
change measuring devices and methods will be achieved. In the
method according to the invention, measurement is performed
using the same frequency as the input signal 31 fed to the
coil arrangement 10. Though in some cases or in some measuring
arrangements the frequency might change, this will not be de-
tected, because it is not measured in the case of the inven-
tion. Instead of the frequency change, the amplitude A and/or
the phase cp of the output signal 32 is measured at the fre-
quency of the input signal 31.

The test base 11 too can, in terms of the invention, take
quite many forms. Some examples of these are the so-called
lateral-flow test, the pit test, the capillary, the microflu-
idics channel, the micro array, or some other manner of bring-
ing the particles to be measured into the vicinity of the de-
vice 10. For the transportation of larger numbers of parti-
cles, it is possible to use the later-flow test, on account of
its simplicity, reliability, and inexpensiveness. A particular
positioning precision (distance from the coil 13) is expected
of smaller amounts of particles and smaller sensor transport
formats. Microfluidics is more suitable than the lateral test
and a test base 11 that may be integrated permanently in con-
nection with the coil 13 will permit a very high positioning
precision relative to the position of the coil 13 and the test
base 11 to each other.
The diameter of individual particles, which can be defined us-
ing the device 10 according to the invention, can be, for ex-
ample, in the range 1 nm - 10 m. Of particular interest are
the particle clusters, with a diameter that can be, depending
on the test base, for example in the range 30 run - 10 m or
particularly 100 - 600 run, which are formed, for example, of
smaller 5 - 30-nm particles. The amount of magnetite or a cor-
responding magnetic material can be, for example, in the order
of 1 ng - 1 mg and the corresponding sample volume, for exam-
ple, in the range 1 nl - 1 ml. In that case, the number of
particles on the test base can be in the range 1 - 1012 parti-
cles, more particularly in the range 103 - 1010 (for example,
lateral-flow tests) or 1 - 108 (for example, miniaturized di-
agnostics) . The minimum and maximum of the size and number of
the particles generally depends of the application and the di-
mensions of the coil arrangement used.
The form of the measuring coil 13, as well as that of the
other coil devices 18 - 20 that may belong to the device 10,

can be, for example, a polygonal (for example, a square, rec-
tangle, triangle, hexagon), or round (for example, a circle,
oval, omega), possibly spiral, planar, continuous, electri-
cally conductive, current-carrying conductor structure.
In the device 10 according to the invention, at least one di-
mension of the conductor structure in at least one coil struc-
ture 13 is in the order of magnitude range of a few microme-
tres to hundreds of micrometres. Thus, for example, the height
i.e. the thickness of the conductor (and at the same time the
insulation spacing and winding spacing) can be 10-7 - 10-4 m
and the width of the conductor 10-6 - 10-4 m. Here, the terms
heights and thickness of the conductor refer to the direction
perpendicular to the base 22 and the term width to the direc-
tion parallel to the plane of the base 22.
The scale parallel to the plane (its plane cross-section
and/or length and/or width) of each coil 13, 18 - 20 belonging
to the device 10 can be, for example, 10-7 - 10-2 m, particu-
larly 10-5 - 10-3 m. This is particularly the case in a coil
structure formed of several conductors. Depending on the manu-
facturing technique, the example of the dimensions parallel to
the plane can be 3 mm x 3 mm or 3 00 m x 3 00 m. Correspond-
ingly, the spacing of the turns of the coils 13, 18 - 20 can
be, for example, 100 m or 10 m. In a coil structure applying
the bridge construction, the. distance of the coils 13, 18 - 20
from each other can be 1 - 5 mm, such as, for example 1-3
mm. Thus it is possible to speak generally of macro or micro-
coils .
The size of the test base 11 and the reaction area in it de-
pends on the application used and the number of particles. The
lateral-flow test, which is suitable for the transportation of
larger numbers of particles, can be, for example, 3-mm wide,
50-mm long, and a few hundreds of micrometres thick. The sur-

face area of the test area of a lateral-flow test can be, for
example, 3 mm x 1 mm, or 5 mm x 1 mm. In such a test, the par-
ticle distribution can be, for example, relatively homogene-
ously distribution over the whole thickness of the strip 11.
The channel diameter of microfluidics, which is more suitable
for the transportation of smaller numbers of particles, can
be, for example, about 100 m and the surface area of the test
area, for example, about 300 m x 300 m. In a test imple-
mented using microfluidics, the particle distribution is in
the surface of the test area, for example, or in its immediate
vicinity.
The dimensions of the coils 13, 18 - 20 have a significant ef-
fect on the sensitivity of the measuring system. The embodi-
ments shown in Figures 1 - 3 show basic geometries for planar-
coils. For reasons of simplicity, only rectangular coil forms
are shown in this case. Reference has already been made to
other possible coil forms. The number of turns, length, thick-
ness, and width of the coils of the embodiments of Figures 1 -
3 can vary relative to each other. The electrical properties
of the coils are determined by their geometry and dimensions.
Approximate estimates of values, based on the measurements and
simulations are given above for the variations (without being-
restricted to them) , for the inductance and resistance, the
cross-sectional area of a coil made from copper being about 3 6
m x 100 m and the cross-section of the coil being 2-4 mm.
in the X and Y directions. The impedance determined, from these
depends on the frequency used.
The following is a brief description of the operating princi-
ple of the device 10 according to the invention and of the
corresponding method. The magnetic particles 12 can be brought
to the measuring area of the measuring coil 13 using a suit-
able test base 11. The particles reinforce the magnetic field
in the environment of the coil 13 when they come under the in-

fluence of the magnetic field of the coil 13. The coil 13 ex-
periences this effect as a change in the relative permeability
of the environment (r > 1) , This causes a change (L) in the
inductance (L0) of the measuring coil 13 ..
L = L0(r-1)
XL =DL0
The change (L) of inductance proportional to the number of
particles can be detected as a change in the total impedance
(Z) caused by the change (XL) in the inductive reactance
(XL). This improves the performance of the measurement of the
amplitude A and/or phase  at high frequencies. An LC circuit
can also be used for the measurement, but in that case, too,
the amplitude A (y-axis) and not the frequency is measured.
The inductance (for example, 1 - 100 nH) of the coil 13 and
its change (for example, about 50 fH - 50 pH) can be detected
by measuring the changes A,  in the amplitude and/or phase
of the high-frequency voltage, or current signal 31 fed to the
measuring coil 13 . The input voltage given by the supply 23
can vary between 0,1 - 10 V, more particularly between 0,5 -
2,5 V, and the input current (impedance) between 0,001 - 10 A,
more particularly between 0,05 - 1 A. The frequency of the in-
put voltage/current can vary between 10D - 109 Hz, more par-
ticularly between 106 - 108 Hz (for example, for micro-coils).
As an example of the frequency, reference can be made to the
use in one macro-scale pilot device of 5 - 2 0 MHz, more par-
ticularly 7 - 14 MHz. The measurement of the change A,  in
amplitude and/or phase can be implemented by monitoring the
absolute value of the impedance and/or phase cp of the measur-
ing coil 13 before and after exposure to the magnetic parti-
cles, which monitoring is performed using the frequency of the

input signal 31 fed to the coil arrangement 10. The greatest
problem in such a measuring arrangement is external interfer-
ence, which distorts the measurement results and reduces the
reliability of the measurement, but its effects can be sur-
prisingly eliminated using the compensating structures 18 -
20.
A comparison can be implemented, for example, using the dif-
ferential construction shown in Figure 4 and 5, in which the
construction is used to compensate the signal from the meas-
ured signal caused by the empty measuring coil 13 (impedance
of the coil and ambient interference) away at the reference
coil 18. Such a differential construction is shown in Figure
4. In it, two identical spiral coils 13, 18 are connected in
series and a high-frequency voltage or current signal 31 is
fed over the coils, (typical variation intervals of current,
voltage, and frequency above). In an ideal situation, it is
possible to assume both coils 13, 18 to be completely identi-
cal in inductance and resistance. Thus, the voltage over both
coils 13, 18 should sum to zero in the intermediate output 15
between the coils 13, 18. The magnetic particles deviated from
this state of balance. The unbalance can be measured, for ex-
ample as the current/voltage signal 32 of the intermediate
output 15.
The sensitivity of the devices 10 shown in Figures 4 and 5 can
be increased by bringing the coil 13 or the; coils 13, 18 into
resonance at a suitable frequency (particularly in the range
106 - 108 Hz) . This can be implemented, for example, using
separate LC circuits, by adding suitable capacitors in paral-
lel or in series with the measuring coil / coils of the cir-
cuit, as shown in Figure 6. The value of such a capacitor is
determined from, among other things, the inductance of the
coil and the desired resonance frequency. For the frequency
range referred to, the capacitance can vary (for example, with

a 50-nH coil) between 1 fF - 1 uF, more particularly 50 pF -
500 nF.
The measuring sensitivity can be further improved by using the
bridge circuit shown in Figures 6 - 10, in which measurement
takes place between the intermediate outputs 15. 17 of two
differential structures. The use of this construction will
achieve more greater sensitivity and interference tolerance.
Figure 6 shows a general depiction of an impedance bridge, but
also other types of bridge solution may be considered. Figure
6 incudes some possible way of placing the resonance capaci-
tors CR1 - CR6. At least some, or even all of these capacitors
can be used. The capacitance of the capacitors is determined
in a manner that is, as such, known, using the inductance of
the coil and the desired resonance frequency as a basis. One
example of the capacitance interval can be 1 fF - 1 F, more
particularly 50 pF - 500 nF .
The signal level of the system can be set to zero by feeding
to the output of the system, such as, for example, to the out-
put of the bridge measurement, or the output of the differen-
tial measurement, a current and/or voltage signal of the oppo-
site phase and the same amplitude.
Figure 7 shows a simplified example of a measuring circuit,
which can be applied in the coil arrangement 10 according to
Figure 6. It will be obvious to one skilled in the art, that
the measuring arrangement is not intended to restrict the ba-
sic idea according to the invention, but is intended only as
an example, by means of which measurements according to the
invention can be performed.
The first amplifier stage 24 shown in Figures 6 and 7 can be,
for example, a low-noise (LNA), broadband differential ampli-
fier, such as, for example, the Texas Instruments THS7530. In

order to maximize noise immunity, the driving and/or the meas-
uring side of: the bridge, i.e. the coil arrangement 10, can be
made to float with transformers (not shown). After the ampli-
fier 24, there can be quadrature detection, in order to elimi-
nate low-frequency noise and 50-Hz interference, as well as to
permit phase-difference measurements.
The quadrature detection can be implemented using mixers 25,
2 6 by mixing the output signal 32 with the sine of the input
signal 31 formed by the DDS oscillator 23 (Inphase I) and the
cosine formed by the DDS oscillator 27 (Quadrature Q) .
The outputs of the I and Q mixers 25, 26 are filtered by low-
pass filters 29.1, 29.2, amplified, and fed. to the 16-bit ADC
30. A third DDS oscillator 33 is arranged to eliminate the
difference of the coils 13, 18, 19, 20 belonging to the bridge
10, which appears despite the symmetry and manufacturing pre-
cision of the measuring bridge. By means of this feedback, an
amplitude and phase-controlled equalization signal 34 is fed
to the output of the bridge 10. The signal 34 forces the out-
put of the bridge 10 to zero, when there are no magnetic par-
ticles in the sphere of influence of the coil arrangement 10.
In order to reduce the noise level, and prevent feed-through
between the modules, the circuit includes the necessary
shields and power-supply filters. In addition, each main mod-
ule can have its own regulator (not shown).
In the concept according to the invention, the output signal
32 should be understood to be the raw signal measured, for ex-
ample, directly from the bridge 10, or the raw signal, which
is manipulated in a manner that is, as such, known, in order
to permit measurement. In an ideal case, the raw signal is di-
rectly proportional to the number of particles. Due to the
non-idealities of the bridge 10, the output signal of the

bridge 10 has generally offset. The offset is removed using a
calibration signal 34. After this, the amplified signal is the
measuring signal 32, directly proportional to the particles,
from which measurement can be performed. Other kinds of signal
manipulation will also be obvious to one skilled in the art,
without, however, altering the basic idea of the invention.
By altering the ratios of the shape and the dimensions (for
example, in the plane of the coil) of both the measuring coil
13 and of the reference 18 and/or the compensation coils 19,
20, it is possible to reduce the measuring error caused by er-
rors in the placing of the sample, and thus to increase the
robustness of the system.
It should be further noted that the factor that, in the device
10 according to the invention, the reference of the measuring
coil 13 comes directly from the adjacent, reference coil 18
over a galvcinic contact. Through the galvanic contact, the
measuring coil 13 and the reference coil 18 can be the same
conductor/structure. Even with purely a direct contact between
the coils 13, 18, without intermediate electronics will sur-
prisingly eliminate interference. For example, errors due to
poor components or asymmetry can be eliminated, if the basic
construction is arranged to be as symmetrical and unified as
possible.
Figure 11 shows an example of an application, in which the
change in the inductance of the coil arrangement, caused by
magnetic particles, is measured as an amplitude measurement.
In this case, the amplitude A of the output voltage 32 is
measured as a function of the frequency from the intermediate
output 15 of the measuring coil 13 and the reference coil 18,
in which case the amplitude difference AA relative to the in-
put voltage 31 is obtained. The change in inductance, indi-
cated by the amplitude difference AA, is converted into an

electric signal by feeding a sinusoidal input voltage over the
measuring coil 13 and the reference coil 18. The voltage meas-
ured from the so-called intermediate output 15 between the
coils 13, 18 is determined from the ratio of the impedances
(inductances) of the coils 13, 18, and is proportional to the
number of magnetic particles. The frequency of the input sig-
nal 31, i.e. the frequency at which the output signal 32 is
measured, can be, for example, the resonance frequency of the
coil system, but the use of other frequencies is also possi-
ble.
The insert of Figure 11 shows the input voltage as a function
of time in a situation, like that in Figure 11. It is also pos-
sible for changes in the frequency and/or phase of the signal
to occur in such measurements. It should be noted that the
signal need not be sinusoidal, but that it can also be, for
example, a square wave, a triangular wave, a burst, or some
other wave shape obvious to one skilled in the art.
Figure 12 shows an example of a typical standard graph ob-
tained using the manner of measuring of Figure 11. The change
AA in amplitude measured is shown on the vertical axis while
the relative number of particles is shown on the horizontal
axis. The unit of the vertical axis can be, for example, the
volt (V), current (I), or even the bit (Bit), when using an AD
converter in the signal processing. As can be seen from Figure
12, the real measurement results follow the great linearity of
the logarithmic scale used, the value R2 depicting the devia-
tion of the measurement results from the standard graph is
0.99578.
Figure 13 shows the content CRP (High-sensitivity C-reactive
Protein) in a sample, measured using the measuring procedure
of Figure 11. The measured change AA in amplitude is shown on
the vertical axis and the CRP content in the sample, propor-

tional to the number of magnetic particles, on the horizontal
axis.
Figure 14 shows an example of an application of a graph, in
which, instead of the amplitude A, the phase difference Acp be-
tween the input voltage 31 and the output voltage 3 2 is meas-
ured. In this case too, the measurement was performed from
(intermediate output 15) between the measuring coil 13 and the
reference coil 18. In this case too, it is also possible for
changes in the frequency and/or the amplitude to occur in the
measurement. Instead of being sinusoidal, the signal can also
be, for example, a square wave, triangular wave, burst, or
some other signal shape obvious to one skilled in the art.
In the device 10 according to the invention, it is possible to
use almost ideal reference signals, which measure out the
background (unspecifically bound magnetic particles) from the
sample and remove, in addition, external interferences (for
example the Earth's magnetic field).
It must be understood that: the above description and the re-
lated figures are only intended to illustrate the present in-
vention. The invention is thus in no way restricted to only
the embodiments disclosed or stated in the Claims, but many
different variations and adaptations of the invention, which
are possible within the scope on the inventive idea defined in
the accompanying Claims, will be obvious to one skilled in the
art.

We claim :
1. Device (10) for the qualitative or quantitative measurement
of a magnetically labelled analyte (12), which device (10) in-
cludes a coil arrangement (13, 18), formed of at least one
measuring coil (13) and a reference coil (18) arranged in con-
nection with it, for measuring the analyte (12) from a sample
absorbed in a test base (1.1) , and from the signal (32) of
which coil arrangement (13, 18) a change in inductance corre-
lating to the content of the magnetically labelled analyte
(12) is arranged to be detected, characterized in that the
said change in inductance is arranged to be detected from a
change (A, ) in amplitude and/or phase appearing in the
output signal (32) of the coil arrangement (13, 18), which is
arranged to be measured at the frequency of the input signal
(31) and the device (10) includes in addition a coil arrange-
ment (18 - 20) compensating error signals, for example, for
compensating error signals caused by the environment and/or
magnetic particles bound unspecifically to the test base (11).
2. Device (10) according to Claim 1, characterized in that, in
order to increase the inductive reactance of the measuring
coil (13) to be greater than the resistance, the measuring
frequency of the device (10) is arranged to be 106 - 108 Hz.
3. Device (10) according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in
that at least the reference coil (18) is an identical copy or
mirror image of the measuring coil (13).
4. Device (10) according to any of Claims 1 - 3, characterized
in that the measuring coil (13), the reference coil (18), and
the possible compensating coil structure (19, 20) is arranged
to form a differential coil arrangement.

5. Device (10) according to any of Claims 1 or 4, character-
ized in that the compensating coil structure includes at least
two coils (19, 20), which are arranged symmetrically relative
to the measuring coil (13) and the reference coil (18).
6. Device (10) according to any of Claims 1, 4 or 5, charac-
terized in that the measuring coil (13), the reference coil
(18), and the compensating coil structure (19, 20) are ar-
ranged relative to each other in an impedance bridge.
7. Device (10) according to any of Claims 1 or 4 - 6, charac-
terized in that the measuring coil (13), the reference coil
(18), and the compensating coil structure (19, 20} are of the
same magnitude in the case of at least one electrical parame-
ter.
8. Device (10) according to Claim 6 or 7, characterized in
that the coils (13, 18 - 20) forming the impedance bridge are
in a planar matrix formation.
9. Device (10) according to any of Claims 6-8, characterized
in that the coils (13, 18 - 20) forming the impedance bridge
are in a layered formation.

10. Device (10) according to any of Claims 1 - 9, character-
ized in that; the test base (11) is integrated with the device
(10), in such a way that it interactively in connection with
the coil arrangement (13, 18).
11. Device (10) according to any of Claims 1 - 10, character-
ized in that the scale of the coils (13, 18 - 20) in the plane
direction is 10-7 - 10-2 m, preferably 10-5 - 10-3 m.
12. Device (10) according to any of Claims 1 - 11, character-
ized in that the coils (13, 18 - 20) are arranged to form a

conductor structure, in which the thickness of the conductor-
is 10-7 - 10-4 m and the width 10-6 - 10-4 m.
13. Device according to any of Claims 1 - 12, characterized in
that the measuring coil (13) and the reference coil (18) are
aligned symmetrically relative to the measuring-signal conduc-
tors (15, 17) .
14. Method for the qualitative or quantitative measurement of
an analyte (12), in which a test base (11) is used to measure
the analyte (12), and in which method
- a sample is absorbed into the test base (11), and
- the test base (11) is analysed using a coil ar-
rangement (13, 18 - 20), from the signal (32) of
which a change in inductance correlating to the con-
tent of the magnetically labelled analyte (12) is de-
tected,
characterized in that the change in inductance is detected
from a change (A, ) in amplitude and/or phase appearing in
the output signal (32) of the coil arrangement (13, 18 - 20),
which is measured at the frequency of the input signal (31)
and, in addition, error signals caused by the environment
and/or magneitic particles bound unspecifically to the test
base (11) are compensated by a coil arrangement (18 - 20).
15. Method according to Claim 14, characterized in that the
coil arrangement includes at least one measuring coil (13) and
a reference coil (18) arranged in connection with it, and in
order to increase the inductive reactance of the measuring
coil (13) to be greater than the resistance, the measurement
is performed using a measuring frequency of 106 - 108 Hz.
16. Method according to Claim 15, characterized in that the
compensation is performed using a differential coil arrange-
ment .

17. Method according to any of Claims 14 - 16, characterized
in that in the method the sample is absorbed to a test base
(11), which is integrated interactively with at least part of
the coil arrangement (13, 18 - 20).
18. A device for the qualitative or quantitative measurement
of a magnetically labelled analyte, substantially as hereinbefore
described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings.
19. A method for the qualitative or quantitative measurement
of a magnetically labelled anaiyte, substantially as hereinbefore
described particularly with reference to the accompanying
drawings and examples included herein.

The invention concerns a device (10) for the qualitative or quantitative measurement of a magnetically labelled analyte (12). The device (10) includes a coil arrangement (13, 18) for measuring the analyte (12) from a sample absorbed in a test base (11). The coil arrangement includes at least one measuring coil (13) and a reference coil arranged in connection with it. From the signal of the coil arrangement (13, 18) a change in inductance correlating
to the content of the magnetically labelled analyte (12) is arranged to be detected. The change in inductance is arranged to be detected from a change (ΔA, Δφ) in amplitude and/or phase
appearing in the output signal (32) of the coil arrangement (13, 18}, which is arranged to be measured at the frequency of the input signal (31). In addition, the invention also relates to a corresponding method.

Documents:

http://ipindiaonline.gov.in/patentsearch/GrantedSearch/viewdoc.aspx?id=o+18J1cnCbWkxa7cFE9AEQ==&loc=wDBSZCsAt7zoiVrqcFJsRw==

« Previous Patent

Next Patent »

Patent Number

270114

Indian Patent Application Number

3912/KOLNP/2008

PG Journal Number

49/2015

Publication Date

04-Dec-2015

Grant Date

27-Nov-2015

Date of Filing

26-Sep-2008

Name of Patentee

MAGNASENSE OY

Applicant Address

SURVONTIE 9 FI-40500 JYVÄSKYLÄ

Inventors:

#	Inventor's Name	Inventor's Address
1	LEKKALA, JUKKA	LIINAHARJANKATU 10 FI-33731 TAMPERE
2	MÄKIRANTA, JARKKO	PARKKITIE 6 AS. 3 FI-37200 SIURO

PCT International Classification Number

G01N 27/72

PCT International Application Number

PCT/FI2007/050211

PCT International Filing date

2007-04-20

PCT Conventions:

#	PCT Application Number	Date of Convention	Priority Country
1	20065257	2006-04-21	Finland
2	20065502	2006-07-27	Finland