Aerosol Jet Printing Functionalized Substrates for Rapid Physiological Sensors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical practices rely heavily on centralized laboratories for analyzing bodily fluids, which leads to a significant delay in receiving test results, typically taking 48-72 hours, thereby creating a bottleneck in the medical industry.
Innovation Solution
The use of aerosol jet printing to functionalize substrates, such as electrodes, by depositing bioactive agents directly onto them, enabling the creation of point-of-care diagnostic tools that can analyze biological fluids quickly and efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If centralized laboratory analysis is used, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time increases significantly (48-72 hours)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the diagnostic process into two segments: (1) point-of-care rapid screening using portable sensors that provide immediate results, and (2) centralized laboratory confirmation for complex cases. This segmentation allows most diagnostic tasks to be performed locally within minutes while reserving specialized laboratory resources for cases requiring advanced analysis, thereby reducing overall time loss while maintaining precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces portable sensing devices as intermediaries between the patient and the centralized laboratory. These devices perform initial diagnostic functions at the point of care, providing rapid results that can trigger immediate treatment decisions. The intermediary devices handle routine diagnostics locally, reducing the burden on centralized labs and eliminating the 48-72 hour delay for most common tests.
2Loss of time
If point-of-care diagnostic tools are developed, then loss of time is reduced to minutes, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs portable sensing devices that can perform multiple diagnostic functions using a single integrated platform. The same device can detect various biomarkers through different sensing mechanisms, eliminating the need for multiple separate complex devices. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity while maintaining rapid diagnostic capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The portable diagnostic devices are designed to be self-contained with onboard processing, memory, and communication capabilities. The devices autonomously perform sample analysis, process results locally, and transmit data without requiring continuous support from centralized laboratories or external equipment. This self-service capability simplifies the overall system architecture while enabling rapid point-of-care diagnostics.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach allows for rapid analysis of biological fluids, reducing the time required for test results from days to minutes, thereby overcoming the bottleneck in medical diagnostics and enabling timely patient care.
Implementation Method 1
Aerosol jet printing to functionalize substrates for physiological sensors
Implementation Method 2
depositing bioactive agents directly onto them
Data Source
AI summary
As one example, methods and systems are provided for aerosol jet printing one or more bioactive agents on a substrate to functionalize the substrate. This disclosure also relates to the resulting functionalized substrates as well as to sensing devices and systems that include such functionalized substrates.