Incorporation of biomolecules in thin films

Abstract

A method of incorporating biomolecules in a thin film mounted on a substrate, with the film having a thickness of not more than about 10 microns, includes providing a metal structure on the substrate between the thin film and the substrate, positioning a medium containing biomolecules in contact with a side of the film remote from the metal substrate, and applying a predetermined electrical voltage between the metal substrate and the medium to cause biomolecules to migrate in an electrophoretic manner from the medium into the thin film.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of incorporating biomolecules in a thin film mounted on a substrate, with the film having a thickness of not more than about 10 microns, said method including:
 providing a metal structure on the substrate between the thin film and the substrate,   positioning a medium containing biomolecules in contact with a side of the film remote from the metal substrate, and   applying a predetermined electrical voltage between the metal substrate and the medium to cause biomolecules to migrate in an electrophoretic manner from the medium into the thin film.   
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the biomolecules comprise molecular recognition elements. 
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 2  wherein the molecular recognition elements comprise antibodies. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 1  including positioning spaced apart first and second metal structures on the substrate between the film and the substrate, and applying a predetermined electrical voltage between the first metal structure and the medium and applying a different predetermined electrical voltage between the second metal structure and the medium to cause different migration of biomolecules from the medium into first and second portions of the thin film adjacent the first and second metal structures respectively. 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the substrate comprises a piezoelectric material and the metal structure and substrate are portions of an acoustic wave device. 
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the thin film is a hydrogel: 
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the thin film is a hydrogel, the biomolecules comprise antibodies and the biomolecule containing medium comprises a buffer solution.