Advances in Dental Research, Vol 8, 100-104, Copyright © 1994 by International & American Associations for Dental Research
Chemical sensors and biosensors for fluoride: current status and developing technologies
J. S. Schultz
Center for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219.
Portable sensors for bioanalytes are becoming of increasing interest,
because their development will permit analyses of biological samples at the
point of sampling, i.e., at the time when an individual is being examined
by a health professional. In this paper, the design requirements for a
fluoride sensor are outlined. Currently, commercially available fluoride
sensors, ion-selective electrodes, do provide the capability to measure
fluoride content in samples directly. However, the sensitivity of these
devices is lower than the normal content of fluoride in plasma, and thus,
samples must be concentrated before measurement. Recent progress in
improving the sensitivity of chemical sensors for fluoride shows
sensitivities up to 0.1 mumol/L, which is within the range of interest. In
addition, the use of biological systems for developing sensors (biosensors)
is expanding rapidly, because of the potential of achieving high
selectivity and sensitivity through the use of the amplification power of
enzymes. However, relatively few enzyme systems have been discovered that
are affected by fluoride--thus the need for expanded research to find
appropriate enzymes for this purpose. The characteristics of some enzymes,
such as adenylate cyclase, that could be used in the development of a
fluoride biosensor are discussed.
