Hydrogel-based sensor for a rheochemical characterization of solutions

We propose a new type of on-line analytics system for biomedical and environmental monitoring. In order to provide the specific analyte detection, a chemical sensor with a functionalised hydrogel coating has been integrated together with a viscosity sensor in a miniaturized biocompatible rheochemical microsystem. The sensor has been calibrated and tested in aqueous solutions of alcohol and salts of different concentration. The selective sensitivity of the polyelectrolyte block-copolymer coating to toxic transition-metal ions has been demonstrated.