SENSOR DEVICE COMPRISING MEANS FOR DETERMINING THE SAMPLE COVERED AREA OF THE SENSITIVE SURFACE

摘要

The invention relates to a microelectronic device (100) with means for the determination of the wetting grade of a sensitive surface (22) that lies adjacent to a sample chamber (1) with a sample fluid. In a particular embodiment, the device may be a magnetic sensor device comprising magnetic excitation wires (11, 13) for the generation of magnetic fields (B) in the sample chamber and a GMR sensor (12) for sensing reaction fields (B') generated by magnetized particles (2). A detector module (30) can optionally be adapted to measure the resistance of conductors (11, 12, 13) which depends, via the dissipation of heat generated by electrical currents, on the wetting grade of the sensitive surface (22). In another embodiment, the capacitance of conductors is measured, which is affected at the sensitive surface by the presence of gas bubbles (4).