Environmental Air Dust Sampling for IVR Pathogen Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for monitoring pathogens in micro-isolator cage environments, such as using soiled bedding sentinels, are inefficient and risk missing low prevalence infections, as many pathogens do not efficiently transfer to sentinel animals.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for detecting pathogens by capturing environmental air dust (EAD) from airflow within an individually ventilated cage rack (IVR) using collection media, isolating nucleic acids, and analyzing them through PCR to identify pathogens, eliminating the need for sentinel animals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If soiled bedding sentinels are used for pathogen monitoring, then indirect monitoring of study animals is achieved, but detection efficiency is reduced because many pathogens do not efficiently transfer to sentinel animals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the pathogen detection function from the biological sentinel animal system and implements it directly through environmental air dust sampling. Collection media are placed in the cage environment to capture airborne particles containing pathogen DNA, eliminating the need for sentinel animals and their associated transfer inefficiencies.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces environmental air dust as an intermediary medium between the study animals and the detection system. Pathogens are first transferred to dust particles in the air, which are then captured by collection media, providing a direct sampling route that bypasses the inefficient animal-to-animal transmission of traditional sentinels.
2Measurement precision
If sentinel animals are housed in separate cages for monitoring, then pathogen transfer can be monitored, but rack space is consumed and husbandry requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the sentinel animal component entirely from the monitoring system, extracting only the essential function of pathogen detection. Collection media are placed directly in study animal cages, eliminating the need for separate sentinel housing and associated rack space consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The collection media serve multiple functions within the same cage environment: they capture environmental air dust for pathogen detection while occupying minimal space that does not interfere with animal housing. This multi-functional approach combines monitoring and housing functions in a space-efficient manner.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If micro-isolator cages are used to limit pathogen transmission, then animal protection is improved, but the environment becomes poor for diagnostic monitoring
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses environmental air dust as an intermediary that bridges the protective barrier of micro-isolator cages with diagnostic monitoring needs. The collection media capture dust particles containing pathogen DNA from the cage environment, enabling detection without compromising the protective isolation of the animals.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/biological transfer mechanism of traditional sentinels with a molecular detection approach. Pathogen DNA is extracted and amplified from captured environmental air dust, substituting physical pathogen transfer with molecular analysis for diagnostic monitoring.
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
Directly detects pathogens that do not efficiently transfer to bedding sentinels, saving rack space and reducing the need for sentinel husbandry, while providing accurate monitoring of pathogen presence.
Implementation Method 1
capturing a test sample including environmental air dust from airflow passing through an enclosure by a collection media
Implementation Method 2
isolating a plurality of nucleic acids from the test sample, where the plurality of nucleic acids is representative of one or more pathogens
Implementation Method 3
amplifying at least one of the plurality of nucleic acids
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to systems and methods for collection and analysis of environmental air dust (EAD) within an individually ventilated cage rack (IVR) environment for detecting pathogens. The method includes collection of an EAD sample by a collection media, isolation of a plurality of nucleic acids (e.g., RNA and/or DNA) representative of one or more infectious agents from the EAD sample, optional reverse transcription of RNA to cDNA if the isolated nucleic acids contain RNA, amplification of the cDNA and/or DNA (e.g., by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)), and assay interpretation. Optionally, the EAD sample may be analyzed with one or more other sample types (e.g., fecal pellets, oral swabs, body swabs, tissue, etc.) to improve detection of low-copy organisms.