This paper reviews the results that have been reported on ISFET based enzyme sensors. The most important improvement that results from the application of ISFETs instead of glass membrane electrodes is in the method of fabrication. Problems with regard to the pH dependence of the response and the dynamic range as well as the influence of the sample buffer capacity have not been solved. As a possible solution we introduce a coulometric system that compensates for the analyte buffer capacity. tf the pH in the immobilized enzyme layer is thus controlled, the resulting pH-static enzyme sensor has an output that is independent of the sample pH and buffer capacity and has an expanded linear range.Key words: ISFET, enzyme, urea, K-technology, buffer dependence, coulometry, pH-static enzyme sensor.
INlXODUCTIONPotentiometrically operating enzyme sensors suffer from a number of problems, partly due to the properties of immobilized enzymes and partly resulting from the use of the particular ion sensitive electrode. Focussing on enzyme electrodes in which the conversion of a substrate causes a change in the local pH, these problems are: pH-dependence of response, detection limit and dynamic range; response dependency on the analyte buffer capacity; dependence on immobilization technology; and individual membrane casting and control of membrane thickness.
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