Sensor and sensor material for detecting pathogen-derived volatile organic compounds

Abstract

A sensor comprising one or more metal oxides as sensor material is used to detect pathogen-derived VOCs, such as those released from an infected wound. The metal oxides can comprise one or more metal elements selected from aluminum, antimony, bismuth, boron, cerium, chromium, cobalt, copper, gold, indium, iridium, iron, lanthanum, lead, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, niobium, osmium, palladium, platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, selenium, silicon, silver, tantalum, tellurium, terbium, tin, titanium, tungsten, vanadium, ytterbium, yttrium, zinc, and zirconium. The sensor device can have one or more sensors that detect and record various VOCs indicative of the presence of pathogens, which are associated with mortality and / or infection.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This application relates generally to sensor materials, sensors and devices for detecting certain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and more particularly to sensor materials and sensor devices for detecting VOCs emitted from infected wounds for the purpose of wound infection detection. [Background technology]

[0002] Chronic skin wound infections and surgical site infections pose a significant burden to healthcare systems and can lead to increased morbidity and mortality. Common pathogens associated with chronic and superficial and deep surgical site infections include, but are not limited to, Staphylococcus epidermidis (SE), Streptococcus pyogenes (SP), Enterococcus faecium (EF), Staphylococcus aureus (SA), Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP), Acinetobacter baumannii (AB), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA), Enterobacter species (ES), Escherichia coli, These include Proteus mirabilis (PM), Serratia marcescens (SM), Enterobacter cloacae (E.cl), and Acinetobacter anitratus (AA). Current diagnostic methods to identify and confirm infection include culture and molecular methods. These methods are time and resource consuming and require transport of samples. In addition, many of these methods have limited sensitivity and specificity due to sample handling and user error (which require complex laboratory science experience and equipment). Thus, the technical limitations of these approaches delay diagnosis and often result in empirical treatment before the infectious agent is identified, increasing the risk of suboptimal antibiotic selection and encouraging the development of antibiotic resistance. To improve wound infection management in the field or hospital, a technology that can directly detect the occurrence of infection in the wound bed and simultaneously identify the active microorganism is highly desirable.

[0003] Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) include a diverse group of carbon-based molecules that are volatile at ambient temperatures, including alcohols, isocyanates, ketones, aldehydes, hydrocarbons, and sulfides. VOC detection has the advantages of being painless, non-invasive, and highly reproducible. There is growing evidence that VOCs or combinations of VOCs are specific to various disease states and their early detection can be a useful diagnostic tool. VOCs have been identified as potential biomarkers in the diagnosis of lung cancer, breast cancer, asthma, and diabetes. Pathogenic bacteria also produce VOCs. The ability to rapidly detect microbial VOCs allows for the identification of specific pathogens.

[0004] There is a need for sensor materials and sensors that can detect early stages of infection before symptoms appear and allow consistent monitoring throughout all stages of infection. Summary of the Invention

[0005] As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include both the singular and plural referents unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0006] The terms "optional" or "optionally" mean that the subsequently described event, circumstance, or substituent may or may not occur, and that instances in which the event or circumstance occurs and instances in which it does not occur are included in the description.

[0007] The recitation of numerical ranges by endpoints includes all values ​​and fractions subsumed within each range, as well as the recited endpoints.

[0008] The terms "about" or "approximately" as used herein in reference to a measurable value, such as a parameter, amount, time duration, and the like, are meant to encompass variations in and from the specified value, such as variations of up to ±10%, up to ±5%, up to ±1%, up to ±0.1% of the specified value, to the extent that such variations are appropriate for practice in the disclosed disclosure. It is to be understood that the value to which the modifier "about" or "approximately" refers is itself specifically, and preferably, disclosed.

[0009] As used herein, the terms "subject," "individual," and "patient" are used interchangeably to refer to a vertebrate, preferably a mammal, more preferably a human. Mammals include, but are not limited to, rodents, apes, humans, farm animals, sports animals, pets, and the like. Also included are tissues, cells, and their progeny of biological entities obtained in vivo or cultured in vitro.

[0010] The word "exemplary" is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any aspect or design described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs. Rather, use of the word exemplary is intended to present concepts in a concrete manner.

[0011] The terms "infection" and "bacterial infection" refer to the presence and / or colonization of pathogenic bacteria in or on a subject in sufficient numbers or amounts to be pathogenic, i.e., sufficient to cause disease, injury or harm to the subject infected with the bacteria. A subject having an infection is said to be "infected" with a pathogen. As used herein, pathogenic bacteria, or "pathogens" for short, are bacteria known to cause bacterial infections in subjects.

[0012] Various embodiments are described below. It should be noted that a particular embodiment is not intended as an exhaustive description or as a limitation to the broad aspects discussed herein. An aspect described in conjunction with a particular embodiment is not necessarily limited to that embodiment and can be practiced with any other embodiment(s). Throughout this specification, references to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," or "an exemplary embodiment" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, although the phrases "in one embodiment," "in one embodiment," or "in an exemplary embodiment" appear in various places throughout this specification, they do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment, and may. Furthermore, particular features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments, as would be apparent to one skilled in the art from this disclosure. Furthermore, although some embodiments described herein include some features but not other features included in other embodiments, combinations of features from different embodiments are within the scope of this disclosure. For example, in the following claims, any of the claimed embodiments can be used in any combination.

[0013] All publications, published patent documents, and patent applications cited in this specification are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication, published patent document, or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

[0014] According to one aspect of the disclosure, a sensor has one or more sensor materials, each sensor material including one or more metals selected from tin (Sn), terbium (Tb), cobalt (Co), zinc (Zn), indium (In), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), tungsten (W), titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), iron (Fe), aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), silver (Ag), gold (Au), palladium (Pd), rhodium (Rh), ruthenium (Ru), molybdenum (Mo), niobium (Nb), zirconium (Zr), yttrium (Y), lanthanum (La), platinum (Pt), silicon (Si), cerium (Ce), and tellurium (Te), and the sensor is capable of detecting one or more volatile organic compounds from one or more pathogens.

[0015] In some embodiments, each sensor is a porous structure selected from mesoporous, macroporous, microporous, nanoporous, and hierarchically porous, and the pore sizes of the sensors are in the ranges of 0.4-2 nm, 2-50 nm, 50 nm-200 nm, 200 nm-500 nm, 500 nm-1 μm, and 1-50 μm.

[0016] In other embodiments, each sensor material comprises a nanomaterial selected from the group consisting of nanospheres, nanorods, nanoporous, nanomesh, nanowires, nanodots, nanostars, nanosheets, nanoplates, nanoflakes, nanotubes, nanohollow spheres, nanocubes, nanocages, nanopolyhedra, nanobelts, nanocylinders, nanohelices, nanoprisms, nanoribbons, nanorings, nanotetrapods, nanodumbbells, nanocrescents, nanocarvings, nanobrushes, nanofibers, nanocrystals, nanowhiskers, nanoscrolls, and nanocapsules.

[0017] In still other embodiments, each sensor material is CoOx, SnOx, ZnOx, NiOx, VOx, FeOx, CuOx, CrOx, InOx, TbOx, MnOx, WOx, TiOx, AlOx, GaOx, AgOx, AuOx, PdOx, RhOx, RuOx, MoOx, NbOx, ZrOx, YOx, LaOx, PtOx, SiOx, CeOx, TeOx, AgAlOx, AgAuOx, AgCoOx, AgCrOx, AgCuOx, AgFeOx, AgGaOx, AgInOx, AgMnOx, AgMoOx, AgNiOx, AgPdOx, AgPtOx, AgRhOx, AgRuOx, AgTiOx, AgVOx, AgWOx, AgZnOx, AgZrOx, AlCoOx, AlCrOx, AlCuOx, AlFeOx, AlGaOx, AlInOx, AlMnOx, AlMoOx, AlNiOx, AlPdOx, AlPtOx, AlRhOx, AlRuOx, AlTiOx, AlVOx, AlWOx, AlZnOx, AlZrOx, AuCoOx, AuCrOx, AuCuOx, AuFeOx, AuGaOx, AuInOx, AuMnOx, AuMoOx, AuNiOx, AuPdOx, AuPtOx, AuRhOx, AuRuOx, AuTiOx, AuVOx, AuWOx, AuZnOx, AuZrOx, CoCrOx, CoCuOx, CoFeOx, CoGaOx, CoInOx, CoMnOx, CoMoOx, CoNiOx, CoPdOx, CoPtOx, CoRhOx, CoRuOx, CoTiOx, CoVOx, CoWOx, CoZnOx, CoZrOx, CrCuOx, CrFeOx, CrGaOx, CrInOx, CrMnOx, CrMoOx, CrNiOx, CrPdOx, CrPtOx, CrRhOx, CrRuOx, CrTiOx, CrVOx, CrWOx, CrZnOx, CrZrOx, CuFeOx, CuGaOx, CuInOx, CuMnOx, CuMoOx, CuNiOx, CuPdOx, CuPtOx, CuRhOx, CuRuOx, CuTiOx, CuVOx, CuWOx, CuZnOx, CuZrOx, FeGaOx, FeInOx, FeMnOx, FeMoOx, FeNiOx, FePdOx, FePtOx, FeRhOx, FeRuOx, FeTiOx, FeVOx, FeWOx, FeZnOx, FeZrOx, GaInOx, GaMnOx, GaMoOx,GaNiOx、GaPdOx、GaPtOx、GaRhOx、GaRuOx、GaTiOx、GaVOx、GaWOx、GaZnOx、GaZrOx、InMnOx、InMoOx、InNiOx、InPdOx、InPtOx、InRhOx、InRuOx、AlFeTiOx、AlGaFeOx、AlGaMnOx、AlGaTiOx、AlInZnOx、AlNiZnOx、AlTiVxOx、AlVZnOx、AlZnCuOx、AlZnFeOx、AlZnMnOx、AlZnNiOx、AlZnTiOx、CoCrFeOx、CoCrMnOx、CoCrNiOx、CoCrTiOx、CoFeTiOx、CoMnNiOx、CoMnTiOx、CoNiTiOx、CoTiVxOx、CoTiZrOx、CoVZnOx、CrFeTiOx、CrMnTiOx、CrNiTiOx、FeMnTiOx、FeTiVxOx、FeTiZrOx、FeVZnOx、GaInZnOx、GaMnTiOx、GaTiZrOx、GaVZnOx、InMnZnOx、InNiZnOx、InTiZrOx、InVZnOx、MnNiZnOx、MnTiVxOx、MnTiZrOx、MnVZnOx、NiTiVxOx、NiTiZrOx、NiVZnOx、TiVZrOx、TiZrZnOx、TiZrCuOx、TiZrNiOx、TiZrCoOx、TiZrMnOx、TiZrFeOx、TiZrAlOx、TiZnCuOx、TiZnFeOx、TiZnMnOx、TiZnNiOx、TiZnCoOx、TiZnCrOx、TiZnAlOx、VZrZnOx、VZrCuOx、VZrCrOx、VZrMnOx、VZrNiOx、VZrCoOx、VZrFeOx、VZrAlOx、YAlOx、YCrOx、YFeOx、YInOx、YNiOx、YTiOx、ZnCrTiOx、ZnFeTiOx、ZnMnTiOx、ZnNiTiOx、ZnTiVxOx、ZnTiZrOx、ZrCrFeOx、ZrCrMnOx、ZrCrNiOx、ZrCrTiOx、ZrFeTiOx、ZrMnNiOx、ZrMnTiOx、ZrNiTiOx、ZrTiVxOx、ZrTiZnOx、ZrVZnOx、ZrZnCuOx、ZrZnFeOx、ZrZnMnOx、ZrZnNiOx、ZrZnCoOx、ZrZnAlOx、AlCoCrTiOx、AlCoMnTiOx、AlCoNbTiOx、One or more oxides selected from AlCoTaTiOx, AlCoVTiOx, AlFeCoTiOx, AlFeCrTiOx, AlFeMnTiOx, AlFeMoTiOx, AlFeNbTiOx, AlFeTaTiOx, AlFeVTiOx, AlFeZnTiOx, AlNiCoTiOx, AlNiCrTiOx, AlNiMnTiOx, AlNiMoTiOx, AlNiNbTiOx, AlNiTaTiOx, AlNiVTiOx, AlNiZnTiOx, CuCoAlTiOx, CuCoCrTiOx, CuCoMnTiOx, CuCoMoTiOx, CuCoNbTiOx, CuCoTaTiOx, CuCoVTiOx, CuCoZnTiOx, CuFeAlTiOx, CuFeCrTiOx, CuFeMnTiOx, CuFeMoTiOx, CuFeNbTiOx, CuFeTaTiOx, CuFeVTiOx, CuFeZnTiOx, CuNiAlTiOx, CuNiCoTiOx, CuNiCrTiOx, CuNiMnTiOx, CuNiMoTiOx, CuNiNbTiOx, CuNiTaTiOx, CuNiVTiOx, CuNiZnTiOx, FeCoAlTiOx, FeCoCrTiOx, FeCoMnTiOx, FeCoMoTiOx, FeCoNbTiOx, FeCoTaTiOx, FeCoVTiOx, FeCoZnTiOx, FeNiAlTiOx, FeNiCoTiOx, FeNiCrTiOx, FeNiMnTiOx, FeNiMoTiOx, FeNiNbTiOx, FeNiTaTiOx, FeNiVTiOx, FeNiZnTiOx, ZnCoAlTiOx, ZnCoCrTiOx, ZnCoMnTiOx, ZnCoMoTiOx, ZnCoNbTiOx, ZnCoTaTiOx, ZnCoVTiOx, ZnCoZnTiOx, ZnFeAlTiOx, ZnFeCrTiOx, ZnFeMnTiOx, ZnFeMoTiOx, ZnFeNbTiOx, ZnFeTaTiOx, ZnFeVTiOx, ZnFeZnTiOx, ZnNiAlTiOx, ZnNiCoTiOx, ZnNiCrTiOx, ZnNiMnTiOx, ZnNiMoTiOx, ZnNiNbTiOx, ZnNiTaTiOx, ZnNiVTiOx, and ZnNiZnTiOx.

[0018] In yet another embodiment, the sensor material comprises a carbon-based material selected from carbon black, activated carbon, microporous carbon, mesoporous carbon, micromesoporous carbon, pyrolytic carbon, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, carbon nanospheres, carbon nanosheets, carbon nanowires, carbon nanorods, graphene, graphene oxide, and reduced graphene oxide.

[0019] In yet another embodiment, the carbon-based material comprises a dopant selected from sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, boron, fluorine, bromine, iodine, chlorine, phosphorus, selenium, chlorine, and tellurium.

[0020] In yet other embodiments, the carbon-based material is functionalized with one or more organic agents selected from amines, fatty acids, alcohols, thiols, aldehydes, phenols, esters, epoxies, polymers, silane coupling agents, carboxylic acids, nitriles, sulfonic acids, imides, isocyanates, ketones, amides, nucleic acids, amino acids, and mixtures thereof.

[0021] In some further embodiments, one of the one or more metals in the sensor material is a single atom of a metal present in a carbon backbone.

[0022] In some still further embodiments, at least one of the one or more sensor materials comprises one or more conjugated polymers selected from polypyrrole (PPy), polyaniline (PANI), polythiophene (PTH), poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT), polyacetylene, polyphenylenevinylene (PPV), polyfluorene, polysulfone, polyindole, polyparaphenylene (PPP), and polycarbazole.

[0023] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the VOCs detectable using the sensor include acetaldehyde, acetone, acetic acid, acetophenone, ammonia, benzaldehyde, butanal, butane, butanol, carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon disulfide, capric acid, caproic acid, caprylic acid, chlorine, decane, dimethyl ether, dimethylpyrazine, dimethyl sulfide, dimethyl trisulfide, ethane, ethanol, ethyl acetate, formaldehyde, hexane, heptane, hydrogen cyanide, hydrogen peroxide, hydrogen sulfide, indole, isobutyric acid, isoprene, isovaleric acid, lauric acid, linoleic acid, methane, methanol, methylcyclohexane, methyl propanoate, methyl butanoate, methyl mercaptan, methyl thiocyanate, methyl thioacetate, myristic acid, nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, nonane, octane, ozone, palmitic acid, pentafluoropropionamide, pentane, prop ... Pionic acid, propanol, stearic acid, sulfur dioxide, 2-aminoacetophenone, 2-butanol, 2-butanone, 2-ethylhexanol, 2-heptanone, 2-methoxy-5-methylthiophene, 2-methylbutanal, 2-methylbutanol, 2-methylbutyl 2-methylbutyrate, 2-methylbutyl isobutyrate, 2-methyl-3-(2-propenyl)-pyrazine, 2-nonanone, 2-pentene, 2-pentanol, 2- tridecenone, 3-(ethylthio)-propanal, 3-hydroxy-2-butanone, 3-methyl-1-butanol, 3-methylbutanal, 3-methylbutanoic acid, 3-methyl-1H-pyrrole, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, 6-tridecane, 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane, 1-hydroxy-2-propanone, 1-octanol, 1-undecane, dodecane, isobutyric acid, isopropyl acetate, and valeric acid.

[0024] According to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, the VOC-producing pathogen is selected from the group consisting of Acinetobacter anitratus, Acinetobacter baumannii, Actinomyces israelii, Agrobacterium radiobacter, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Azorhizobium caulinodans, Azotobacter vinelandii, Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus brevis, and the like. brevis, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus fusiformis, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus mycoides, Bacillus stearothermophilus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacteroides fragilis, Bacteroides gingivalis, Bacteroides melaninogenicus, Bartonella henselae henselae, Bartonella quintana, Bordetella bronchiseptica, Bordetella pertussis, Borrelia burgdorferiburgdorferi, Brucella abortus, Brucella melitensis, Brucella suis, Burkholderia mallei, Burkholderia pseudomallei, Burkholderia cepacia, Calymmatobacterium granulomatis, Campylobacter coli, Campylobacter fetus, Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter pylori, Chlamydia trachomatis trachomatis, Chlamydophila pneumoniae, Chlamydophila psittaci, Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium difficile, Clostridium perfringens, Clostridium tetani, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Corynebacterium fusiforme, Coxiella burnetii, Ehrlichia chaffeensis, Enterobacter cloacae cloacae, Enterococcus avium, Enterococcus durans, Enterococcus faecalisfaecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Enterococcus gallinum, Enterococcus maloratus, Escherichia coli, Francisella tularensis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Enterobacter species, Gardnerella vaginalis, Haemophilus ducreyi, Haemophilus influenzae, Haemophilus parainfluenzae, Haemophilus pertussis pertussis, Haemophilus vaginalis, Helicobacter pylori, Klebsiella pneumonia, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Lactococcus lactis, Legionella pneumophila, Listeria monocytogenes, Methanobacterium extroquens, Microbacterium multiforme multiforme, Micrococcus luteus, Moraxella catarrhaliscatarrhalis, Morganella morganii, Mycobacterium avium, Mycobacterium bovis, Mycobacterium diphtheriae, Mycobacterium intracellulare, Mycobacterium leprae, Mycobacterium lepraemurium, Mycobacterium phlei, Mycobacterium smegmatis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis tuberculosis, Mycoplasma fermentans, Mycoplasma genitalium, Mycoplasma hominis, Mycoplasma penetrans, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Mycoplasma mexican, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Neisseria meningitidis, Pasteurella multocida, Pasteurella tularensis, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella melaninogenica, Proteus vulgaris, Proteus mirabilis, Proteus penneri, Providencia stuartiistuartii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Rhizobium radiobacter, Rickettsia prowazekii, Rickettsia psittaci, Rickettsia quintana, Rickettsia rickettsii, Rickettsia trachomae, Rochalimaea henselae, Rochalimaea quintana, Rothia dentocariosa, Salmonella enteritidis enteritidis, Salmonella typhi, Salmonella typhimurium, Serratia marcescens, Shigella dysenteriae, Spirillum volutans, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus avium, Streptococcus bovis bovis, Streptococcus cricetus, Streptococcus faceium, Streptococcus faecalisfaecalis, Streptococcus ferus, Streptococcus gallinarum, Streptococcus lactis, Streptococcus mitior, Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus oralis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus rattus, Streptococcus salivarius salivarius, Streptococcus sanguis, Streptococcus sobrinus, Treponema pallidum, Treponema denticola, Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio comma, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificus, Yersinia enterocolitica, Yersinia pestis, and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. pseudotuberculosis, and / or is known to comprise one or more antibiotic resistant strains from known species, and / or is known to comprise one or more extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing strains from known species, in particular the one or more extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing strains are extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing Escherichia coli.coli and extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae.

[0025] According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a sensor device includes one or more sensors connected to a plurality of electrodes supported on a substrate to form an electrical conduit.

[0026] In some embodiments, the sensor device is configured to measure changes in resistance, conductance, alternating current (AC), frequency, capacitance, impedance, inductance, mobility, potential, optical property, or voltage threshold.

[0027] In another embodiment, the sensor device includes a sensor array having between 2 and 48 sensors. The sensors of the sensor array may be the same or different. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows the TEM micrographs of the mesoporous Co3O4 porous sensor material, TEM and SAED images (insets), and HRTEM of mesoporous Co3O4 materials synthesized using FDU-12 (a, b) and SBA-16 (c, d) templates. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2A shows the XRD patterns of materials obtained by calcining a mixture of cobalt nitrate and chromium nitrate at various temperatures. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2B shows the XRD patterns of materials obtained by calcining a mixture of cobalt nitrate and nickel nitrate at different temperatures. [Figure 2C] FIG. 2C shows the XRD patterns of materials obtained by calcining a mixture of nickel nitrate and indium nitrate at different temperatures. [Figure 2D] FIG. 2D shows the XRD patterns of materials calcined at various temperatures from a mixture of nickel nitrate and aluminum nitrate. [Figure 2E]FIG. 2E shows the XRD patterns of materials calcined at various temperatures from a mixture of iron nitrate and indium nitrate. [Figure 2F] FIG. 2F shows the XRD patterns of materials obtained by calcining a mixture of iron nitrate and manganese nitrate at various temperatures. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 shows the response signal of a sensor constructed with the porous Co3O4 material shown in FIG. 1 to exemplary VOCs. [Figure 4A] FIG. 4A shows the response of a sensor constructed with nanostructured CoOx. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4B shows the response of a sensor constructed with nanostructured ZnO to CO2 to ethanol. [Figure 4C] FIG. 4C shows the response of a sensor constructed with nanostructured LaCoSnOx to acetic acid. [Figure 4D] FIG. 4D shows the response of a sensor constructed with nanostructured InCoSnOx to benzene. [Figure 4E] FIG. 4E shows the response of a sensor constructed with nanostructured CoTbCuOx to 1-butanol. [Figure 4F] FIG. 4F shows the response of a sensor constructed with nanostructured SnInFeCoOx to isoprene. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a method for preparing a sensor material. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows the synthesized sensor material after heating and annealing. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an image of a sensor device having an array of 12 sensors integrated with a sensor array of 12 individual sensors. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] Detailed Description of the Embodiments

[0030] The methods, compositions, materials, sensors, and devices herein can be used to detect and identify wound infections using VOCs emitted from pathogens in a subject. Infections occur on the skin of the palms, fingers, ears, nose, face, eyes, arms, legs, chest, breasts, back, abdomen, and / or feet. The combination of sensors with pattern recognition and machine learning algorithms allows for wound infection detection.

[0031] The sensor includes one or more sensor materials. The sensor material can be non-porous or porous. The porous material can include a single porous material or a mixture of porous materials. The porous material can be mesoporous, macroporous, microporous, nanoporous, or hierarchical porous material including mesoporous / macroporous hierarchical structure, microporous / macroporous hierarchical structure, microporous / mesoporous hierarchical structure, microporous / mesoporous / macroporous hierarchical structure, etc. The mesoporous structure is a structure selected from an ordered mesoporous structure with ordered pores, a worm-like mesoporous structure with uniform pore size but no long-range order, or a disordered mesostructure with a pore size of 2 to 50 nm. The macroporous structure is a structure selected from an ordered macroporous structure or a non-ordered macroporous structure with a pore size of 50 nm to 50 μm. In further embodiments, the pore size of the sensor material is in the range of 0.4-2 nm, 2-50 nm, 50 nm-200 nm, 200 nm-500 nm, 500 nm-1 μm, 1-50 μm. The specific surface area is in the range of 1-1000 m 2 / g.

[0032] The sensor material herein can also be in the form of a nanomaterial. Examples of nanomaterials include nanospheres, nanorods, nanowires, nanoporous, nanomesh, nanodots, nanostars, nanosheets, nanoplates, nanoflakes, nanotubes, nanohollow spheres, nanocubes, nanocages, nanopolyhedra, nanobelts, nanocylinders, nanohelices, nanoprisms, nanoribbons, nanorings, nanotetrapods, nanodumbbells, nanocrescents, nanocarvings, nanobrushes, nanofibers, nanocrystals, nanowhiskers, nanoscrolls, nanocapsules, etc. It should be noted that the sensor material can be a porous nanomaterial. Additionally, the sensor material includes unicomponent, binary, ternary, quaternary, pentanary, heptagonary, and octanary multicomponent metal oxides.

[0033] The elements in the sensor material may be selected from tin (Sn), terbium (Tb), cobalt (Co), zinc (Zn), indium (In), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), tungsten (W), titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), iron (Fe), aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), silver (Ag), gold (Au), palladium (Pd), rhodium (Rh), ruthenium (Ru), molybdenum (Mo), niobium (Nb), zirconium (Zr), yttrium (Y), lanthanum (La), platinum (Pt), silicon (Si), cerium (Ce), and tellurium (Te). Examples of the sensor material include CoOx, SnOx, ZnOx, NiOx, VOx, FeOx, CuOx, CrOx, InOx, TbOx, MnOx, WOx, TiOx, AlOx, GaOx, AgOx, AuOx, PdOx, RhOx, RuOx, MoOx, NbOx, ZrOx, YOx, LaOx, PtOx, SiOx, CeOx, TeOx, AgAlOx, AgAuOx, AgCoOx, AgC rOx, AgCuOx, AgFeOx, AgGaOx, AgInOx, AgMnOx, AgMoOx, AgNiOx, AgPdOx, AgPtOx, AgRhOx, AgRuOx, AgTiOx, Ag VOx, AgWOx, AgZnOx, AgZrOx, AlCoOx, AlCrOx, AlCuOx, AlFeOx, AlGaOx, AlInOx, AlMnOx, AlMoOx, AlNiOx, AlPd Ox, AlPtOx, AlRhOx, AlRuOx, AlTiOx, AlVOx, AlWOx, AlZnOx, AlZrOx, AuCoOx, AuCrOx, AuCuOx, AuFeOx, AuGaO x, AuInOx, AuMnOx, AuMoOx, AuNiOx, AuPdOx, AuPtOx, AuRhOx, AuRuOx, AuTiOx, AuVOx, AuWOx, AuZnOx, AuZrOx , CoCrOx, CoCuOx, CoFeOx, CoGaOx, CoInOx, CoMnOx, CoMoOx, CoNiOx, CoPdOx, CoPtOx, CoRhOx, CoRuOx, CoTiO x, CoVOx, CoWOx, CoZnOx, CoZrOx, CrCuOx, CrFeOx, CrGaOx, CrInOx, CrMnOx, CrMoOx, CrNiOx, CrPdOx, CrPtOx,CrRhOx、CrRuOx、CrTiOx、CrVOx、CrWOx、CrZnOx、CrZrOx、CuFeOx、CuGaOx、CuInOx、CuMnOx、CuMoOx、CuNiOx、CuPdOx、CuPtOx、CuRhOx、CuRuOx、CuTiOx、CuVOx、CuWOx、CuZnOx、CuZrOx、FeGaOx、FeInOx、FeMnOx、FeMoOx、FeNiOx、FePdOx、FePtOx、FeRhOx、FeRuOx、FeTiOx、FeVOx、FeWOx、FeZnOx、FeZrOx、GaInOx、GaMnOx、GaMoOx、GaNiOx、GaPdOx、GaPtOx、GaRhOx、GaRuOx、GaTiOx、GaVOx、GaWOx、GaZnOx、GaZrOx、InMnOx、InMoOx、InNiOx、InPdOx、InPtOx、InRhOx、InRuOx、AlFeTiOx、AlGaFeOx、AlGaMnOx、AlGaTiOx、AlInZnOx、AlNiZnOx、AlTiVxOx、AlVZnOx、AlZnCuOx、AlZnFeOx、AlZnMnOx、AlZnNiOx、AlZnTiOx、CoCrFeOx、CoCrMnOx、CoCrNiOx、CoCrTiOx、CoFeTiOx、CoMnNiOx、CoMnTiOx、CoNiTiOx、CoTiVxOx、CoTiZrOx、CoVZnOx、CrFeTiOx、CrMnTiOx、CrNiTiOx、FeMnTiOx、FeTiVxOx、FeTiZrOx、FeVZnOx、GaInZnOx、GaMnTiOx、GaTiZrOx、GaVZnOx、InMnZnOx、InNiZnOx、InTiZrOx、InVZnOx、MnNiZnOx、MnTiVxOx、MnTiZrOx、MnVZnOx、NiTiVxOx、NiTiZrOx、NiVZnOx、TiVZrOx、TiZrZnOx、TiZrCuOx、TiZrNiOx、TiZrCoOx、TiZrMnOx、TiZrFeOx、TiZrAlOx、TiZnCuOx、TiZnFeOx、TiZnMnOx、TiZnNiOx、TiZnCoOx、TiZnCrOx、TiZnAlOx、VZrZnOx、VZrCuOx、VZrCrOx、VZrMnOx、VZrNiOx、VZrCoOx、VZrFeOx、VZrAlOx、YAlOx、YCrOx、YFeOx、YInOx、YNiOx、YTiOx、ZnCrTiOx、ZnFeTiOx、ZnMnTiOx、ZnNiTiOx、ZnTiVxOx、ZnTiZrOx、ZrCrFeOx、ZrCrMnOx、ZrCrNiOx、ZrCrTiOx、ZrFeTiOx、ZrMnNiOx、ZrMnTiOx、ZrNiTiOx、ZrTiVxOx、ZrTiZnOx、ZrVZnOx、ZrZnCuOx、ZrZnFeOx、ZrZnMnOx、ZrZnNiOx、ZrZnCoOx、ZrZnAlOx、AlCoCrTiOx、AlCoMnTiOx、AlCoNbTiOx、AlCoTaTiOx、AlCoVTiOx、AlFeCoTiOx、AlFeCrTiOx、AlFeMnTiOx、AlFeMoTiOx、AlFeNbTiOx、AlFeTaTiOx、AlFeVTiOx、AlFeZnTiOx、AlNiCoTiOx、AlNiCrTiOx、AlNiMnTiOx、AlNiMoTiOx、AlNiNbTiOx、AlNiTaTiOx、AlNiVTiOx、AlNiZnTiOx、CuCoAlTiOx、CuCoCrTiOx、CuCoMnTiOx、CuCoMoTiOx、CuCoNbTiOx、CuCoTaTiOx、CuCoVTiOx、CuCoZnTiOx、CuFeAlTiOx、CuFeCrTiOx、CuFeMnTiOx、CuFeMoTiOx、CuFeNbTiOx、CuFeTaTiOx、CuFeVTiOx、CuFeZnTiOx、CuNiAlTiOx、CuNiCoTiOx、CuNiCrTiOx、CuNiMnTiOx、CuNiMoTiOx、CuNiNbTiOx、CuNiTaTiOx、CuNiVTiOx、CuNiZnTiOx、FeCoAlTiOx、FeCoCrTiOx、FeCoMnTiOx、FeCoMoTiOx、FeCoNbTiOx、FeCoTaTiOx、FeCoVTiOx、FeCoZnTiOx、FeNiAlTiOx、FeNiCoTiOx、FeNiCrTiOx、FeNiMnTiOx、FeNiMoTiOx、FeNiNbTiOx、FeNiTaTiOx、FeNiVTiOx、FeNiZnTiOx、ZnCoAlTiOx、ZnCoCrTiOx、ZnCoMnTiOx、ZnCoMoTiOx、ZnCoNbTiOx、ZnCoTaTiOx、ZnCoVTiOx、Examples of suitable compositions include ZnCoZnTiOx, ZnFeAlTiOx, ZnFeCrTiOx, ZnFeMnTiOx, ZnFeMoTiOx, ZnFeNbTiOx, ZnFeTaTiOx, ZnFeVTiOx, ZnFeZnTiOx, ZnNiAlTiOx, ZnNiCoTiOx, ZnNiCrTiOx, ZnNiMnTiOx, ZnNiMoTiOx, ZnNiNbTiOx, ZnNiTaTiOx, ZnNiVTiOx, and ZnNiZnTiOx. As used in this disclosure, chemical formulas ending in "x" represent all compositions having the same elements in the chemical formula, but the amounts of such elements vary in the composition.

[0034] These formulas reflect the elements in the sensor material, but the concentration of each element can vary, for example, from 0.01 to 0.99, 0.1 to 0.9, 0.2 to 0.8, 0.3 to 0.7, or 0.4 to 0.6.

[0035] In some embodiments, the sensor material comprises mono-, binary, ternary, quaternary, pentanary, or hexanary single or multi-component elemental metal particles, including aluminum (Al), antimony (Sb), bismuth (Bi), boron (B), cerium (Ce), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), gold (Au), indium (In), iridium (Ir), iron (Fe), lanthanum (La), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), nickel (Ni), niobium (Nb), osmium (Os), palladium (Pb), arsenic (Ar ... The metal may be one or more of the following: platinum (Pd), platinum (Pt), rhodium (Rh), ruthenium (Ru), selenium (Se), silicon (Si), silver (Ag), tantalum (Ta), tellurium (Te), terbium (Tb), tin (Sn), titanium (Ti), tungsten (W), vanadium (V), ytterbium (Yb), yttrium (Y), zinc (Zn), and zirconium (Zr). The size of the particles is in the range of 0.5 nm to 500 nm, 1 nm to 100 nm, 10 nm to 200 nm, or 1 nm to 10 nm, 10 nm to 30 nm, 30 nm to 50 nm, 50 nm to 100 nm, or 100 nm to 500 nm. The shape of the particles can be nanospheres, nanorods, nanowires, nanodots, nanoporous, nanomesh, nanostars, nanosheets, nanoplates, nanoflakes, nanotubes, nanohollow spheres, nanocubes, nanocages, nanopolyhedrons, nanobelts, nanocylinder ...

[0036] In some embodiments, the sensor material can further include a carbon-based material, which can be carbon black, activated carbon, microporous carbon, mesoporous carbon, micromesoporous carbon, pyrolytic carbon, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, carbon nanospheres, carbon nanosheets, carbon nanowires, carbon nanorods, graphene, graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, etc. The carbon-based material can be doped with sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, boron, fluorine, bromine, iodine, chlorine, phosphorus, selenium, chlorine, tellurium, etc.

[0037] In some embodiments, the sensor material can include a carbon material functionalized with an organic agent such as an amine, a fatty acid, an alcohol, a thiol, an aldehyde, a phenol, an ester, an epoxy, a polymer, a silane coupling agent, a carboxylic acid, a nitrile, a sulfonic acid, an imide, an isocyanate, a ketone, an amide, a nucleic acid, an amino acid, or a mixture thereof.

[0038] In some embodiments, the sensor material can include a carbon material having a monoatomic metal in its carbon skeleton, which can be niobium (Nb), osmium (Os), palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), rhodium (Rh), ruthenium (Ru), selenium (Se), silicon (Si), silver (Ag), tantalum (Ta), tellurium (Te), terbium (Tb), tin (Sn), titanium (Ti), tungsten (W), vanadium (V), ytterbium (Yb), yttrium (Y), zinc (Zn), or zirconium (Zr).

[0039] In some embodiments, the sensor material may be a composite that includes both elemental metals and metal oxides as components to form a composite sensor material, which has the metal nanoparticles and metal oxides described and enumerated.

[0040] In some embodiments, the sensor material may be a composite including carbon-based materials, metal nanoparticles, and metal oxides.

[0041] In some embodiments, the sensor material may include one or more conjugated polymers such as polypyrrole (PPy) materials, polyaniline (PANI) materials, polythiophene (PTH) materials, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) materials, poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) materials, polyacetylene materials, polyphenylenevinylene (PPV) materials, polyfluorene materials, polysulfone materials, polyindole materials, polyparaphenylene (PPP) materials, and polycarbazole materials. In some embodiments, the conjugated polymer is mixed with the carbon-based material.

[0042] The sensor material can be a structure, such as a patch of material supported on a substrate. A plurality of structures made of the sensor material form a sensor array. The sensor array can have two or three or four or eight or twelve or more sensors and can be used to detect one or more gases from a metabolite gas mixture emitted by a pathogen of a wound infection.

[0043] In some embodiments, the sensor includes a substrate supporting the sensor material and a plurality of electrodes on the substrate that form electrical conduits.

[0044] In some embodiments, the sensor may be a capacitive sensor, a resistive sensor, a chemiresistive sensor, an impedance sensor, and a field effect transistor sensor. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the present disclosure. In an exemplary embodiment, the sensor is configured as a chemiresistive sensor.

[0045] In certain embodiments, the sensor further comprises a detection means consisting of a device for measuring changes in resistance, conductance, alternating current (AC), frequency, capacitance, impedance, inductance, mobility, potential, optical property, or voltage threshold, with each possibility representing a separate embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0046] In certain embodiments, the present disclosure provides a sensor array for diagnosing wound infection caused by a pathogen in a subject, the sensor array having a plurality of sensors, for example, between 2 and 6 and 8 and 12 and 32 and 48 sensors essentially consisting of at least two sensor materials, a substrate, a plurality of electrodes on the substrate, and a detection means.

[0047] The sensors in the array can be formed in a variety of shapes and sizes, such as patches of material supported on a substrate.

[0048] In certain embodiments, the sensor array can be used to identify the type of pathogen causing a wound infection based on the pattern of VOCs detected by the sensor, which can be analyzed using pattern recognition and machine learning algorithms known in the art to classify VOCs and identify the type of pathogen causing the infection.

[0049] In certain embodiments, the sensor device may or may not be in contact with a wound of a subject and is capable of detecting a wide variety of bacteria, including Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus pyogenes, Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumonia, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter species, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Serratia marcescens, and the like. When exposed to at least one VOC indicative of a wound infection caused by a pathogen such as Bacillus marcescens, Enterobacter cloacae, Acinetobacter anitratus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Gardnerella vaginalis, antibiotic resistant strains, and other pathogens associated with wound infections, the sensor material changes electrical conductivity between the electrodes, thereby providing a measurable signal indicative of the wound infection. This signal can be detected by detection means including devices that measure changes in resistance, conductance, alternating current (AC), frequency, capacitance, impedance, inductance, mobility, potential, optical property, or voltage threshold.

[0050] The pathogens of wound infections include one or more bacteria or fungi, including, but not limited to, Acinetobacter anitratus, Acinetobacter baumannii, Actinomyces israelii, Agrobacterium radiobacter, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Azorhizobium caulinodans, Azotobacter vinelandii, Bacillus anthracis, and the like. anthracis, Bacillus brevis, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus fusiformis, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus mycoides, Bacillus stearothermophilus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacteroides fragilis, Bacteroides gingivalis, Bacteroides melaninogenicus melaninogenicus, Bartonella henselae, Bartonella quintana, Bordetella bronchiseptica, Bordetella pertussispertussis, Borrelia burgdorferi, Brucella abortus, Brucella melitensis, Brucella suis, Burkholderia mallei, Burkholderia pseudomallei, Burkholderia cepacia, Calymmatobacterium granulomatis, Campylobacter coli, Campylobacter fetus, Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter pylori, Chlamydia trachomatis trachomatis, Chlamydophila pneumoniae, Chlamydophila psittaci, Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium difficile, Clostridium perfringens, Clostridium tetani, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Corynebacterium fusiforme, Coxiella burnetii, Ehrlichia chaffeensis, Enterobacter cloacae cloacae, Enterococcus avium, Enterococcus durans, Enterococcus faecalisfaecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Enterococcus gallinum, Enterococcus maloratus, Escherichia coli, Francisella tularensis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Enterobacter species, Gardnerella vaginalis, Haemophilus ducreyi, Haemophilus influenzae, Haemophilus parainfluenzae, Haemophilus pertussis, Haemophilus vaginalis vaginalis, Helicobacter pylori, Klebsiella pneumonia, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Lactococcus lactis, Legionella pneumophila, Listeria monocytogenes, Methanobacterium extroquens, Microbacterium multiforme, Micrococcus luteus luteus), Moraxella catarrhaliscatarrhalis, Morganella morganii, Mycobacterium avium, Mycobacterium bovis, Mycobacterium diphtheriae, Mycobacterium intracellulare, Mycobacterium leprae, Mycobacterium lepraemurium, Mycobacterium phlei, Mycobacterium smegmatis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis tuberculosis, Mycoplasma fermentans, Mycoplasma genitalium, Mycoplasma hominis, Mycoplasma penetrans, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Mycoplasma mexican, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Neisseria meningitidis, Pasteurella multocida, Pasteurella tularensis, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella melaninogenica, Proteus vulgaris, Proteus mirabilis, Proteus penneri, Providencia stuartiistuartii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Rhizobium radiobacter, Rickettsia prowazekii, Rickettsia psittaci, Rickettsia quintana, Rickettsia rickettsii, Rickettsia trachomae, Rochalimaea henselae, Rochalimaea quintana, Rothia dentocariosa, Salmonella enteritidis enteritidis, Salmonella typhi, Salmonella typhimurium, Serratia marcescens, Shigella dysenteriae, Spirillum volutans, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus avium, Streptococcus bovis bovis, Streptococcus cricetus, Streptococcus faceium, Streptococcus faecalisfaecalis, Streptococcus ferus, Streptococcus gallinarum, Streptococcus lactis, Streptococcus mitior, Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus oralis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus rattus, Streptococcus salivarius salivarius, Streptococcus sanguis, Streptococcus sobrinus, Treponema pallidum, Treponema denticola, Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio comma, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificus, Yersinia enterocolitica, Yersinia pestis, and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. pseudotuberculosis, and / or is known to comprise one or more antibiotic resistant strains from known species, and / or is known to comprise one or more extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing strains from known species, in particular the one or more extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing strains are extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing Escherichia coli.coli and extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae.

[0051] The antibiotic-resistant bacterial strain is selected from the group consisting of: carbapanem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, carbapanem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, clarithromycin-resistant Helicobacter pylori, fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter coli, coli), fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter fetus, fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter jejuni, fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter pylori, fluoroquinolone-resistant Salmonella enteritidis, fluoroquinolone-resistant Salmonella typhi, Fluoroquinolone-resistant Salmonella typhimurium, cephalosporin-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae, fluoroquinolone-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae, penicillin-non-susceptible Streptococcus pneumonia, ampicillin-resistant Haemophilus influenza, fluoroquinolone-resistant Shigella dysenteriae, carbapanem-resistant Escherichia coli, carbapanem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae pneumonia, Carbapanem-resistant Enterobacter cloacae, Carbapanem-resistant Serratia marcescens, Carbapanem-resistant Proteus vulgaris, Carbapanem-resistant Proteus mirabilis, Carbapanem-resistant Proteus penneri, Carbapanem-resistant Providencia stuartii, Carbapanem-resistant Morganella morganiimorganii, cephalosporin-resistant Escherichia coli, cephalosporin-resistant Klebsiella pneumonia, cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacter cloacae, cephalosporin-resistant Serratia marcescens, cephalosporin-resistant Proteus vulgaris, cephalosporin-resistant Proteus mirabilis, cephalosporin-resistant Proteus pennellii penneri, cephalosporin-resistant Providencia stuartii and cephalosporin-resistant Morganella morganii.

[0052] In certain embodiments, the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) include acetaldehyde, acetone, acetic acid, acetophenone, ammonia, benzaldehyde, butanal, butane, butanol, carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon disulfide, capric acid, caproic acid, caprylic acid, chlorine, decane, dimethyl ether, dimethylpyrazine, dimethyl sulfide, dimethyl trisulfide, ethane, ethanol, ethyl acetate, formaldehyde, hexane, heptane, hydrogen cyanide, Hydrogen peroxide, hydrogen sulfide (H2S), indole, isobutyric acid, isoprene, isovaleric acid, lauric acid, linoleic acid, methane, methanol, methylcyclohexane, methyl propanoate, methyl butanoate, methyl mercaptan, methyl thiocyanate, methyl thioacetate, myristic acid, nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, nonane, octane, ozone, palmitic acid, pentafluoropropionamide, pentane, propane, propionic acid, propanol, stearic acid, sulfur dioxide, 2-aminoacetophenone, 2-butanol, 2-butanone, 2-ethylhexanol, 2-heptanone, 2-methoxy-5-methylthiophene, 2-methylbutanal, 2-methylbutanal These include a diverse group of carbon-based molecules, including ethanol, 2-methylbutyl isobutyrate, 2-methyl-3-(2-propenyl)-pyrazine, 2-nonanone, 2-pentene, 2-pentanol, 2-tridecenone, 3-(ethylthio)-propanal, 3-hydroxy-2-butanone, 3-methyl-1-butanol, 3-methylbutanal, 3-methylbutanoic acid, 3-methyl-1H-pyrrole, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, 6-tridecane, 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane, 1-hydroxy-2-propanone, 1-octanol, 1-undecane, dodecane, isobutyric acid, isopropyl acetate, methane, and valeric acid, which are volatile at room temperature. VOC detection has the advantages of being painless, non-invasive, and highly reproducible.

[0053] The present invention provides a sensor material and a sensor device for detecting VOCs released from an infected wound for wound infection detection. The sensor device comprises a substrate and a plurality of electrodes disposed on the substrate forming an electrical conduit. The sensor is supported on the substrate and comprises one or more sensor materials which may be non-porous or porous, and may be in the form of a nanomaterial. The porous material may be mesoporous, macroporous, microporous, nanoporous, or hierarchically porous. The sensor material may also comprise a carbon-based material and / or a monoatomic metal in the carbon framework. The sensor material may further include a conjugated polymer such as a polypyrrole (PPy) material, a polyaniline (PANI) material, a polythiophene (PTH) material, a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) material, a poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) material, a polyacetylene material, a polyphenylenevinylene (PPV) material, a polyfluorene material, a polysulfone material, a polyindole material, a polyparaphenylene (PPP) material, a polycarbazole material, or a mixture thereof.

[0054] The sensor device may be a capacitive, resistive, chemiresistive, impedance or field effect transistor sensor and may include detection means having devices for measuring changes in resistance, conductance, alternating current (AC), frequency, capacitance, impedance, inductance, mobility, potential, optical property or voltage threshold. The sensor device may be configured as a sensor array having a plurality of sensors for detecting one or more gases from a metabolite gas mixture emitted by a pathogen of a wound infection.

[0055] The substrate supporting the sensor material and the plurality of electrodes may be made of any suitable material, such as silicon, glass, plastic, or ceramic. The electrodes may be made of any suitable conductive material, such as gold, silver, platinum, carbon, etc. The detection means may consist of devices for measuring changes in resistance, conductance, alternating current (AC), frequency, capacitance, impedance, inductance, mobility, potential, optical properties, or voltage thresholds. In certain embodiments, the sensor is configured as a chemiresistive sensor.

[0056] In another embodiment, the present disclosure provides a method for preparing a sensor device. The method includes depositing a sensor material on a substrate, such as a silicon substrate or other suitable substrate, using any deposition method known in the art, such as spin coating, dip coating, drop casting, inkjet printing, or any other method known in the art. The deposition can be on a single electrode or multiple electrodes, depending on the desired configuration of the sensor device. The sensor device can be a single sensor or a sensor array, depending on the sensor material and number of electrodes used.

[0057] A detected sensor array signal is obtained in response to changes in the electrical resistance of the sensor material.

[0058] The method herein may include exposing the sensor array to a gas mixture emanating from a pathogen of a wound infection. As used herein, the gas mixture may include VOCs or vapors from a subject, such as the skin or exhaled breath of the subject. In some cases, the VOCs or vapors are emitted from the skin of the subject. The skin may be any wound part of the subject, such as the palm, finger, arm, leg, back, abdomen, or foot of the subject. In some examples, the gas mixture includes a variety of odors from chemical classes such as aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, acids, sulfur-containing compounds, esters, hydrocarbons, and nitrogen-containing compounds.

[0059] The method can be carried out at relatively low operating temperatures. In some embodiments, the operating temperature can be at most 250°C, at most 200°C, at most 150°C, at most 100°C, at most 80°C, at most 60°C, at most 50°C, at most 40°C, at most 30°C, at most 20°C, or at most 10°C. In some examples, the operating temperature can be in the range of about -30°C to about 40°C, e.g., about 0°C to about 30°C, about 10°C to about 30°C, or about 20°C to about 25°C. In some examples, the operating temperature can be 50°C or lower.

[0060] The methods, gas sensors, and devices herein can detect the relative levels of a gas mixture. In some cases, the methods and devices can measure concentrations of gases in a gas mixture of 5000 ppm or less, 4000 ppm or less, 3000 ppm or less, 2000 ppm or less, 1000 ppm or less, 500 ppm or less, 250 ppm or less, 100 ppm or less, 50 ppm or less, 10 ppm or less, 1 ppm or less, 800 parts per billion (ppb) or less, 600 ppb or less, 500 ppb or less, 400 ppb or less, 200 ppb or less, 100 ppb or less, 80 ppb or less, 60 ppb or less, 40 ppb or less, 20 ppb or less, 10 ppb or less, or 1 ppb or less. In some cases, the methods, sensors, and devices are configured to have a detection limit of 5000 ppm or less for a gas in a gas mixture. "Detection limit" refers to the lowest amount of a substance that can be distinguished from the absence of that substance (e.g., a blank value). In certain cases, a gas sensor or device is configured to have a detection limit of 1000 ppm or less or 500 ppm or less, such as 400 ppm or less, 300 ppm or less, 200 ppm or less, 100 ppm or less, 75 ppm or less, 50 ppm or less, 25 ppm or less, 20 ppm or less, 15 ppm or less, 10 ppm or less, 5 ppm or less, 1 ppm or less, 500 ppb or less, 100 ppb or less, 50 ppb or less, 10 ppb or less, or 1 ppb or less. In certain cases, a gas sensor or device is configured to have a detection limit of 1 ppm or less. In certain cases, the gas sensor or device is configured to detect at least 1 ppb, at least 10 ppb, at least 50 ppb, at least 100 ppb, at least 500 ppb, at least 1 ppm, at least 5 ppm, at least 10 ppm, at least 15 ppm, at least 20 ppm, at least 25 ppm, at least 50 ppm, at least 75 ppm, at least 100 ppm, or at least 200 ppm of VOCs.

[0061] The method of any one of the preceding items, wherein detecting the set of sensor signals comprises a sensor array with both a gas mixture having a volatile compound contained or accumulated therein and a gas mixture not having a volatile compound contained or accumulated therein.

[0062] The subject may relate to animals, including mammals, preferably humans, to which the method of the present disclosure can be applied. Mammalian species that can benefit from the present disclosure include, but are not limited to, apes. Chimpanzees, orangutans, humans, monkeys; domesticated animals (e.g., pets) such as dogs, cats, guinea pigs, hamsters; large domesticated animals such as cows, horses, goats, sheep (wherein the use of the present disclosure for veterinary purposes is mentioned). Also, the subject may be any wild animal, since the present disclosure can be used for both skilled and tracking purposes.

[0063] Identifying bacteria may include volatilizing volatile organic or inorganic compounds obtained from pathogens of wound infections in a subject using a sensor array. A sensor array is any device capable of generating an electrical signal that changes in response to interaction with a volatile compound of interest. The sensor signal may be an observable change in one or more quantifiable entities, such as resistance, voltage, frequency, etc.

[0064] Reference signals include known pathogens such as bacteria and fungi. Reference signals may be established using standard samples obtained from pathogens grown in vitro or from in vivo infected and non-infected patients or animals that are evaluated by the methods of the present disclosure and / or by conventional means to identify the pathogens found therein. EXAMPLES

[0065] Embodiment

[0066] Various modifications and variations of the described methods, pharmaceutical compositions, and kits of the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Although the present disclosure has been described in connection with specific embodiments, it will be understood that the present disclosure is capable of further modifications, and that the present disclosure as claimed should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments. Indeed, various modifications of the described modes for carrying out the present disclosure that are obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be within the scope of the present disclosure. This application is generally intended to cover any variation, use, or adaptation of the present disclosure in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure, including those in which such departures from the present disclosure are within the scope of known customary practices in the art to which the present disclosure pertains and may be applied to the essential features as previously defined herein.

[0067] Figure 1 shows TEM micrographs of the porous sensor material made of Co3O4. The TM micrographs show a mesoporous structure with a relatively uniform pore size of about 15 nm. The mesoporous Co3O4 in panels a and b was synthesized using the FDU-12 template, while those in panels c and d were synthesized using the SBA-16 template.

[0068] Figure 2A shows a series of XRD patterns for materials obtained by calcining a mixture of cobalt and chromium nitrates at temperatures between 100 and 600 °C. Heating or calcining at temperatures below 200 °C does not appear to produce a crystalline structure, but calcination at temperatures above 400 °C produces intensified diffraction peaks indicating the formation of highly crystalline CoCr2O4.

[0069] Figure 2B shows a series of XRD patterns obtained by heating a mixture of cobalt nitrate and nickel nitrate precursors from 100° C. to 600° C. The XRD peaks due to NiCo2O4 appear at 150° C., and the XRD peaks due to Ni appear above 200° C.

[0070] Figure 2C shows a series of XRD patterns obtained by heating a mixture of nickel nitrate and indium nitrate from 100 °C to 600 °C. XRD peaks due to In2O3 or NiO start to appear at 300 °C, but the NiO XRD peaks are more distinct than those of In2O3.

[0071] Similarly, Figure 2D shows the XRD pattern of the material from a mixture of nickel nitrate and aluminum nitrate calcined at 100° C. to 600° C. XRD peaks due to Al2O3 or NiO start to appear at 300° C., while the XRD peaks due to NiO are more obvious.

[0072] Figure 2E shows the XRD pattern of the material from a mixture of iron nitrate and indium nitrate calcined at temperatures between 100 °C and 600 °C. The XRD peaks due to Fe2O3 or In2O3 begin to appear at 200 °C and grow relatively constant up to 600 °C, showing that they become more completely crystallized at about 200 °C.

[0073] FIG. 2F shows the XRD patterns of materials from a mixture of iron nitrate and manganese nitrate calcined at various temperatures.

[0074] Figure 3 shows the response of the sensor made of the porous Co3O4 material shown in Figure 1 to various VOCs. g It is expressed as / R0. R g where R represents the sensor resistance in the presence of gas, and R is the sensor resistance in clean air. The porous Co3O4 exhibited clear responses to gas pulses containing isoprene, 1-undecene, 2-butanol, dodecane, 2-butanone, or benzaldehyde, suggesting its potential as a sensitive detector for these VOCs. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the Co3O4 material as a sensing platform for detecting various VOCs.

[0075] Figure 4A shows the response of a sensor constructed with nanostructured CoOx to a pulse of ethanol-containing gas of about 1-20 ppm (i.e., an ethanol pulse). The response is plotted as ΔR (R g-R0). FIG. 4B shows the response of a sensor constructed with nanostructured ZnO to a 500 ppm CO2 pulse. FIG. 4C shows the response of a sensor constructed with nanostructured LaCoSnOx to an acetic acid pulse from 100 ppb to 2 ppm. FIG. 4D shows the response of a sensor constructed with nanostructured InCoSnOx to a benzene pulse from 10 ppm to 200 ppm. FIG. 4E shows the response of a sensor constructed with nanostructured CoTbCuOx to a 1-butanol pulse from 1 ppm to 20 ppm. FIG. 4F shows the response of a sensor constructed with nanostructured SnInFeCoOx to an isoprene pulse from 10 ppm to 200 ppm. As used herein, "nanostructured" means that the characteristics of the material, e.g., pore size, particle size, are on the nanoscale.

[0076] FIG. 5 describes an exemplary method of preparing a sensor. In the first two steps, a template solution containing a pore-forming template agent (e.g., FDU-12, SBA-16, etc.) is prepared, as well as one or more precursor solutions each containing a precursor of the sensor material. The template solution and the precursor solution are each placed in a predetermined channel of a deposition device. The different solutions are metered onto the substrate according to their proportions to form one or more films with the same or different compositions. The films are heated to evaporate the liquid, leaving a film array on the substrate. The film array is annealed, i.e. heated to a predetermined temperature, and the organic pore-forming template is dissociated and removed. As a result, an array of sensor material films is formed on the substrate, forming a package (e.g., a chip). This package is then incorporated into a device with the necessary electronic components to form a sensor device.

[0077] FIG. 6 shows a patch of sensitive sensor material formed on a substrate.

[0078] Figure 7 shows an array of 12 sensors in the central portion of the chip, with three sensors on each side. Each sensor is connected to two wire bond pads located around the perimeter of the chip.

[0079] Various modifications and variations of the described methods, pharmaceutical compositions, and kits of the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Although the present disclosure has been described in connection with specific embodiments, it will be understood that the disclosure is capable of further modifications, and that the claimed disclosure should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments. Indeed, various modifications of the described modes for carrying out the present disclosure that are obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be within the scope of the present disclosure. This application is generally intended to cover any variation, use, or adaptation of the present disclosure in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure, including those deviations from the present disclosure that are within the scope of known customary practices in the art to which the present disclosure pertains and that may be applied to the essential features as previously defined herein.

Claims

1. 1. A sensor comprising one or more sensor materials, Each sensor material includes one or more metals selected from tin (Sn), terbium (Tb), cobalt (Co), zinc (Zn), indium (In), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), tungsten (W), titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), iron (Fe), aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), silver (Ag), gold (Au), palladium (Pd), rhodium (Rh), ruthenium (Ru), molybdenum (Mo), niobium (Nb), zirconium (Zr), yttrium (Y), lanthanum (La), platinum (Pt), silicon (Si), cerium (Ce), and tellurium (Te); The sensor is capable of detecting one or more volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from one or more pathogens.

2. each sensor is a porous structure selected from mesoporous, macroporous, microporous, nanoporous, and hierarchically porous; 2. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the pore size of the sensor material is in the range of 0.4-2 nm, 2-50 nm, 50 nm-200 nm, 200 nm-500 nm, 500 nm-1 μm, and 1-50 μm.

3. 2. The sensor of claim 1, wherein each sensor material is a nanomaterial selected from nanospheres, nanorods, nanowires, nanoporous, nanomesh, nanodots, nanostars, nanosheets, nanoplates, nanoflakes, nanotubes, nanohollow spheres, nanocubes, nanocages, nanopolyhedrons, nanobelts, nanocylinders, nanohelices, nanoprisms, nanoribbons, nanorings, nanotetrapods, nanodumbbells, nanocrescents, nanocarvings, nanobrushes, nanofibers, nanocrystals, nanowhiskers, nanoscrolls, and nanocapsules.

4. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein each sensor material is selected from Pt nanospheres, Au nanodots, Ag nanowires, Ag—Au nanocubes, Os nanorods, Fe nanoparticles, Pd nanowires, Pt—Ru nanocubes, Pt—Ru nanocrystals, and Ru nanocages.

5. Each sensor material is CoOx, SnOx, ZnO, NiOx, VOx, FeOx, CuOx, CrOx, InOx, TbOx, MnOx, WO, TiO, AlOx, GaOx, AgOx, AuOx, PdOx, RhOx, RuOx, MoOx, NbOx, ZrOx, YOx, LaOx, PtOx, SiO, CeOx, TeOx, AgAlOx, AgAuOx, AgCoOx, AgCrOx, AgCuOx, AgFeOx, AgGaOx, AgInOx, AgMnO, AgMoOx, AgNiOx, AgPdOx, AgPtOx, AgRhOx, AgRuOx, AgTiO, AgVO, AgWO, AgZnO, AgZrO, AlCoOx, AlCrOx, AlCuOx, AlFeOx, AlGaOx, AlInOx, AlMnO, AlMoOx, AlNiOx, AlPdOx, AlPtOx, AlRhOx, AlRuOx, AlTiO, AlVO, AlWO, AlZnO, AlZrO, AuCoOx, AuCrOx, AuCuOx, AuFeOx, AuGaOx, AuInOx, AuMnO, AuMoOx, AuNiOx, AuPdOx, AuPtOx, AuRhOx, AuRuOx, AuTiO, AuVO, AuWO, AuZnO, AuZrO, CoCrOx, CoCuOx, CoFeOx, CoGaOx, CoInOx, CoMnO, CoMoOx, CoNiOx, CoPdOx, CoPtOx, CoRhOx, CoRuOx, CoTiO, CoVO, CoWO, CoZnO, CoZrO, CrCuOx, CrFeOx, CrGaOx, CrInOx, CrMnO, CrMoOx, CrNiOx, CrPdOx, CrPtOx, CrRhOx, CrRuOx, CrTiO, CrVO, CrWO, CrZnO, CrZrO, CuFeOx, CuGaOx, CuInOx, CuMnO, CuMoOx, CuNiOx, CuPdOx, CuPtOx, CuRhOx, CuRuOx, CuTiO, CuVO, CuWO, CuZnO, CuZrO, FeGaOx, FeInOx, FeMnO, FeMoOx, FeNiOx, FePdOx, FePtOx, FeRhOx, FeRuOx, FeTiO, FeVO, FeWO, FeZnO, FeZrO, GaInOx, GaMnO, GaMoOx, GaNiOx, GaPdOx,GaPtOx、GaRhOx、GaRuOx、GaTiOx、GaVOx、GaWOx、GaZnOx、GaZrOx、InMnOx、InMoOx、InNiOx、InPdOx、InPtOx、InRhOx、InRuOx,AlFeTiOx、AlGaFeOx、AlGaMnOx、AlGaTiOx、AlInZnOx、AlNiZnOx、AlTiVxOx、AlVZnOx、AlZnCuOx、AlZnFeOx、AlZnMnOx、AlZnNiOx、AlZnTiOx、CoCrFeOx、CoCrMnOx、CoCrNiOx、CoCrTiOx、CoFeTiOx、CoMnNiOx、CoMnTiOx、CoNiTiOx、CoTiVxOx、CoTiZrOx、CoVZnOx、CrFeTiOx、CrMnTiOx、CrNiTiOx、FeMnTiOx、FeTiVxOx、FeTiZrOx、FeVZnOx、GaInZnOx、GaMnTiOx、GaTiZrOx、GaVZnOx、InMnZnOx、InNiZnOx、InTiZrOx、InVZnOx、MnNiZnOx、MnTiVxOx、MnTiZrOx、MnVZnOx、NiTiVxOx、NiTiZrOx、NiVZnOx、TiVZrOx、TiZrZnOx、TiZrCuOx、TiZrNiOx、TiZrCoOx、TiZrMnOx、TiZrFeOx、TiZrAlOx、TiZnCuOx、TiZnFeOx、TiZnMnOx、TiZnNiOx、TiZnCoOx、TiZnCrOx、TiZnAlOx、VZrZnOx、VZrCuOx、VZrCrOx、VZrMnOx、VZrNiOx、VZrCoOx、VZrFeOx、VZrAlOx、YAlOx、YCrOx、YFeOx、YInOx、YNiOx、YTiOx、ZnCrTiOx、ZnFeTiOx、ZnMnTiOx、ZnNiTiOx、ZnTiVxOx、ZnTiZrOx、ZrCrFeOx、ZrCrMnOx、ZrCrNiOx、ZrCrTiOx、ZrFeTiOx、ZrMnNiOx、ZrMnTiOx、ZrNiTiOx、ZrTiVxOx、ZrTiZnOx、ZrVZnOx、ZrZnCuOx、ZrZnFeOx、ZrZnMnOx、ZrZnNiOx、ZrZnCoOx、ZrZnAlOx、AlCoCrTiOx、AlCoMnTiOx、AlCoNbTiOx、AlCoTaTiOx、The sensor according to claim 1, which is one or more oxides selected from AlCoVTiOₓ, AlFeCoTiOₓ, AlFeCrTiOₓ, AlFeMnTiOₓ, AlFeMoTiOₓ, AlFeNbTiOₓ, AlFeTaTiOₓ, AlFeVTiOₓ, AlFeZnTiOₓ, AlNiCoTiOₓ, AlNiCrTiOₓ, AlNiMnTiOₓ, AlNiMoTiOₓ, AlNiNbTiOₓ, AlNiTaTiOₓ, AlNiVTiOₓ, AlNiZnTiOₓ, CuCoAlTiOₓ, CuCoCrTiOₓ, CuCoMnTiOₓ, CuCoMoTiOₓ, CuCoNbTiOₓ, CuCoTaTiOₓ, CuCoVTiOₓ, CuCoZnTiOₓ, CuFeAlTiOₓ, CuFeCrTiOₓ, CuFeMnTiOₓ, CuFeMoTiOₓ, CuFeNbTiOₓ, CuFeTaTiOₓ, CuFeVTiOₓ, CuFeZnTiOₓ, CuNiAlTiOₓ, CuNiCoTiOₓ, CuNiCrTiOₓ, CuNiMnTiOₓ, CuNiMoTiOₓ, CuNiNbTiOₓ, CuNiTaTiOₓ, CuNiVTiOₓ, CuNiZnTiOₓ, FeCoAlTiOₓ, FeCoCrTiOₓ, FeCoMnTiOₓ, FeCoMoTiOₓ, FeCoNbTiOₓ, FeCoTaTiOₓ, FeCoVTiOₓ, FeCoZnTiOₓ, FeNiAlTiOₓ, FeNiCoTiOₓ, FeNiCrTiOₓ, FeNiMnTiOₓ, FeNiMoTiOₓ, FeNiNbTiOₓ, FeNiTaTiOₓ, FeNiVTiOₓ, FeNiZnTiOₓ, ZnCoAlTiOₓ, ZnCoCrTiOₓ, ZnCoMnTiOₓ, ZnCoMoTiOₓ, ZnCoNbTiOₓ, ZnCoTaTiOₓ, ZnCoVTiOₓ, ZnCoZnTiOₓ, ZnFeAlTiOₓ, ZnFeCrTiOₓ, ZnFeMnTiOₓ, ZnFeMoTiOₓ, ZnFeNbTiOₓ, ZnFeTaTiOₓ, ZnFeVTiOₓ, ZnFeZnTiOₓ, ZnNiAlTiOₓ, ZnNiCoTiOₓ, ZnNiCrTiOₓ, ZnNiMnTiOₓ, ZnNiMoTiOₓ, ZnNiNbTiOₓ, ZnNiTaTiOₓ, ZnNiVTiOₓ, and ZnNiZnTiOₓ.

6. 10. The sensor of claim 1, further comprising a carbon-based material selected from carbon black, activated carbon, microporous carbon, mesoporous carbon, micromesoporous carbon, pyrolytic carbon, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, carbon nanospheres, carbon nanosheets, carbon nanowires, carbon nanorods, graphene, graphene oxide, and reduced graphene oxide.

7. 7. The sensor of claim 6, wherein the carbon-based material comprises a dopant selected from sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, boron, fluorine, bromine, iodine, chlorine, phosphorus, selenium, chlorine, and tellurium.

8. 7. The sensor of claim 6, wherein the carbon-based material is functionalized with one or more organic agents selected from amines, fatty acids, alcohols, thiols, aldehydes, phenols, esters, epoxies, polymers, silane coupling agents, carboxylic acids, nitriles, sulfonic acids, imides, isocyanates, ketones, amides, nucleic acids, amino acids, and mixtures thereof.

9. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more metals in the sensor material is a single atom of a metal present in a carbon backbone.

10. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more sensor materials is a composite comprising an elemental metal and a metal oxide.

11. 10. The sensor of claim 9, wherein at least one of the one or more sensor materials comprises one or more conjugated polymers selected from polypyrrole (PPy), polyaniline (PANI), polythiophene (PTH), poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT), polyacetylene, polyphenylenevinylene (PPV), polyfluorene, polysulfone, polyindole, polyparaphenylene (PPP), and polycarbazole.

12. The one or more VOCs are acetaldehyde, acetone, acetic acid, acetophenone, ammonia, benzaldehyde, butanal, butane, butanol, carbon dioxide (CO ２ ), carbon disulfide, capric acid, caproic acid, caprylic acid, chlorine, decane, dimethyl ether, dimethylpyrazine, dimethyl sulfide, dimethyl trisulfide, ethane, ethanol, ethyl acetate, formaldehyde, hexane, heptane, hydrogen cyanide, hydrogen peroxide, hydrogen sulfide, indole, isobutyric acid, isoprene, isovaleric acid, lauric acid, linoleic acid, methane, methanol, methylcyclohexane, methyl propanoate, methyl butanoate, methyl mercaptan, methyl thiocyanate, methyl thioacetate, myristic acid, nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, nonane, octane, ozone, palmitic acid, pentafluoropropionamide, pentane, propane, propionic acid, propanol, stearic acid, sulfur dioxide, 2-aminoacetophenone, 2-butanol, 2-butanone, 2- 2. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the alkoxy group is selected from ethylhexanol, 2-heptanone, 2-methoxy-5-methylthiophene, 2-methylbutanal, 2-methylbutanol, 2-methylbutyl 2-methylbutyrate, 2-methylbutyl isobutyrate, 2-methyl-3-(2-propenyl)-pyrazine, 2-nonanone, 2-pentene, 2-pentanol, 2-tridecenone, 3-(ethylthio)-propanal, 3-hydroxy-2-butanone, 3-methyl-1-butanol, 3-methylbutanal, 3-methylbutanoic acid, 3-methyl-1H-pyrrole, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, 6-tridecane, 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane, 1-hydroxy-2-propanone, 1-octanol, 1-undecane, dodecane, isobutyric acid, isopropyl acetate, and valeric acid.

13. The one or more pathogens are selected from the group consisting of Acinetobacter anitratus, Acinetobacter baumannii, Actinomyces israelii, Agrobacterium radiobacter, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Azorhizobium caulinodans, Azotobacter vinelandii, Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus brevis, Bacillus cereus, and the like. cereus, Bacillus fusiformis, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus mycoides, Bacillus stearothermophilus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacteroides fragilis, Bacteroides gingivalis, Bacteroides melaninogenicus, Bartonella henselae, Bartonella quintana quintana, Bordetella bronchiseptica, Bordetella pertussis, Borrelia burgdorferiburgdorferi, Brucella abortus, Brucella melitensis, Brucella suis, Burkholderia mallei, Burkholderia pseudomallei, Burkholderia cepacia, Calymmatobacterium granulomatis, Campylobacter coli, Campylobacter fetus, Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter pylori, Chlamydia trachomatis, Chlamydophila pneumoniae, pneumoniae, Chlamydophila psittaci, Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium difficile, Clostridium perfringens, Clostridium tetani, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Corynebacterium fusiforme, Coxiella burnetii, Ehrlichia chaffeensis, Enterobacter cloacae, Enterococcus avium, Enterococcus durans, durans, Enterococcus faecalisfaecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Enterococcus gallinum, Enterococcus maloratus, Escherichia coli, Francisella tularensis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Enterobacter species, Gardnerella vaginalis, Haemophilus ducreyi, Haemophilus influenzae, Haemophilus parainfluenzae, Haemophilus pertussis, Haemophilus vaginalis vaginalis, Helicobacter pylori, Klebsiella pneumonia, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Lactococcus lactis, Legionella pneumophila, Listeria monocytogenes, Methanobacterium extroquens, Microbacterium multiforme, Micrococcus luteus, Moraxella catarrhaliscatarrhalis, Morganella morganii, Mycobacterium avium, Mycobacterium bovis, Mycobacterium diphtheriae, Mycobacterium intracellulare, Mycobacterium leprae, Mycobacterium lepraemurium, Mycobacterium phlei, Mycobacterium smegmatis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycoplasma fermentans fermentans, Mycoplasma genitalium, Mycoplasma hominis, Mycoplasma penetrans, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Mycoplasma mexican, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Neisseria meningitidis, Pasteurella multocida, Pasteurella tularensis, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella melaninogenica, Proteus vulgaris, Proteus mirabilis mirabilis, Proteus penneri, Providencia stuartiistuartii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Rhizobium radiobacter, Rickettsia prowazekii, Rickettsia psittaci, Rickettsia quintana, Rickettsia rickettsii, Rickettsia trachomae, Rochalimaea henselae, Rochalimaea quintana, Rothia dentocariosa, Salmonella enteritidis enteritidis, Salmonella typhi, Salmonella typhimurium, Serratia marcescens, Shigella dysenteriae, Spirillum volutans, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus avium, Streptococcus bovis, Streptococcus curicetus cricetus, Streptococcus faceium, Streptococcus faecalisfaecalis, Streptococcus ferus, Streptococcus gallinarum, Streptococcus lactis, Streptococcus mitior, Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus oralis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus rattus, Streptococcus salivarius, Streptococcus sanguis, sanguis, Streptococcus sobrinus, Treponema pallidum, Treponema denticola, Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio comma, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificus, Yersinia enterocolitica, Yersinia pestis, and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. and / or is known to comprise one or more antibiotic-resistant strains from known species and / or is known to comprise one or more extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing strains from known species, in particular the one or more extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing strains are selected from the group consisting of Escherichia coli and Escherichia coli.

2. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the host cell is selected from the group consisting of: Klebsiella pneumoniae producing extended-spectrum β-lactamase.

14. 13. A sensor apparatus comprising one or more sensors according to claim 1 connected to a plurality of electrodes supported on a substrate to form an electrical conduit.

15. 15. The sensor apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a device for measuring changes in resistance, conductance, alternating current (AC), frequency, capacitance, impedance, inductance, mobility, potential, optical property, or voltage threshold.

16. The sensor arrangement of claim 14, comprising a sensor array having 2 to 48 identical or different sensors.

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