US Patent 7399400 - Polymer CNT biosensor

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7399400.html

There have been various proposals and designs for biosensors formed form aligned nanotube arrays but which be costly to fabricate. This patent from Nano-Proprietary teaches a biosensor using disordered nanotubes to lower production costs and enhance reproducibility. Claim 1 reads:

1. A sensor for detecting an analyte comprising:

carbon nanotubes lacking alignment;

a polymer immobilized to the carbon nanotubes; and

a sensing element for detecting the analyte,

wherein the sensing element is immobilized to the carbon nanotube, wherein the polymer is an insulating, redox or conducting polymer and wherein the polymer is polyaniline, polypyrrole, polythiophene or any substituted derivatives thereof.