There are many inventions described and illustrated herein. In one aspect,
the present invention is a system, a device and a method for sensing the
concentration of an analyte in a fluid (for example, a fluid sample) or
matrix. The analyte may be glucose or other chemical of interest. The
fluid or matrix may be, for example, the fluid or matrix in the body of
an animal (for example, human), or any other suitable fluid or matrix in
which it is desired to know the concentration of an analyte. In one
embodiment, the invention is a system and/or device that includes one or
more layers having a plurality of analyte-equivalents and mobile or fixed
receptor molecules with specific binding sites for the
analyte-equivalents and analytes under analysis (for example, glucose).
The receptor molecules, when exposed to or in the presence of analyte
(that resides, for example, in a fluid in an animal), bind with the
analyte (or vice versa). As such, some or all (or substantially all) of
the receptor molecules within a given layer may bind with the analyte,
which results in a change in the optical properties of one or more of the
layers. These layer(s) may be examined or interrogated, via optical
techniques, whereby the optical response of the layers and/or, in
particular, the substance within the layer(s), may be measured, evaluated
and/or analyzed.