Development and evaluation of a miniaturized taste sensor chip

Abstract

A miniaturized taste sensor chip was designed for use in a portable-type taste sensing system. The fabricated sensor chip (40 mm × 26 mm × 2.2 mm) has multiple taste-sensing sites consisting of a poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) hydrogel with KCl as the electrolyte layer for stability of the membrane potential and artificial lipid membranes as the taste sensing elements. The sensor responses to the standard taste substances showed high accuracy and good reproducibility, which is comparable with the performance of the sensor probe of the commercialized taste sensing system. Thus, the fabricated taste sensor chip could be used as a key element for the realization of a portable-type taste sensing system.

Keywords: artificial lipid membrane; electrolyte layer; sensor chip; taste sensor.

Figure 1.

(a) External view of the commercialized taste sensing system. (b) Extended view of connecter parts with sensor probes and the sensor chip. (c) Structure of the fabricated sensor chip.

Figure 2.

Manufacturing procedure for taste sensing site. (a) Forming the electrolyte layer. (b) Setting of the partition. (c) Deposition of artificial lipid membrane solution.

Figure 3.

Calibration curves of the taste sensor chips and the sensor probes. Data are expressed as mean ± SD (n = 5). ○: sensor chip, Δ: sensor probe.

Figure 4.

Repeatability of measurement of each taste substances by the sensor chips. Data are expressed as mean ± SD (n = 4). Taste substance of saltiness, sourness, umami, bitterness and astringency were used 300 mM KCl in 30 mM tartaric acid, 3 mM tannic acid in 30 mM KCl, 10 mM MSG, 0.01 vol% iso-alpha acid in reference solution and 0.05 wt% tannic acid, respectively.