Antigen Chip Reference Pattern Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing antigen chip technologies require high precision in producing substrate with antigen spots, are sensitive to position deviations, and necessitate exact alignment for accurate antibody detection, leading to misalignment issues and reduced robustness in automated detection methods.

Innovation Solution

The antigen chip features a substrate with antigen spots and reference spots forming distinct regular patterns, allowing for automated detection of antibodies by using a common dye for both, enabling separate identification of antigen spot patterns and reference patterns, which reduces the need for precise alignment and enhances robustness in image processing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If antigen spots are arranged in a regular grid pattern for position identification, then spot location can be accurately determined, but the system becomes highly sensitive to position deviations and requires exact alignment

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespot position identification accuracyVSAvoidrobustness against position deviations

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Reference spots are introduced as intermediary elements that do not require precise antigen-antibody binding but serve as stable positional markers. These reference spots mediate between the substrate grid and the antigen spots, allowing the system to tolerate position deviations in antigen spots while maintaining accurate identification through the stable reference framework.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system transitions from requiring exact positional alignment (rigid phase) to allowing positional flexibility (flexible phase) by decoupling the identification function from the antigen spots themselves and assigning it to reference spots with different regularity characteristics, enabling robust detection despite position variations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #36Phase transitions

2Measurement precision

If exact alignment is required for accurate antibody detection, then detection accuracy is improved, but production complexity and alignment requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveantibody detection accuracyVSAvoidalignment requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The detection system is segmented into two independent functional components: reference spots for positional identification and antigen spots for antibody detection. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - reference spots provide stable positional information without requiring precise alignment, while antigen spots can be produced with standard precision without compromising overall detection accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Ease of manufacture

If a rigid grid alignment system is used for spot identification, then position assignment is straightforward, but the system is highly sensitive to manufacturing position deviations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespot pattern productionVSAvoidposition deviation tolerance

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The reference spots are designed with different regularity characteristics compared to the antigen spot grid. This asymmetry in pattern regularity creates a distinctive reference framework that is easier to identify and less sensitive to manufacturing variations, while the antigen spots can be produced using standard grid-based methods without requiring ultra-precise positioning.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

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 robust and accurate detection of antibodies by distinguishing antigen spot patterns based on their sequence and position relative to reference patterns, improving the reliability and ease of production of antigen chips, as the chip can be produced with less stringent alignment requirements.

Implementation Method 1

The second antibodies then bind to the first antibodies, with the result that it is then possible, by means of detection of a color of the spots due to the dye, to indirectly detect binding of the first antibodies to the antigens

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFluorescence: Fluorescence

Data Source

PatentUS11305289B2Method for automated detection of antibodies in a liquid biological sample using an antigen chip, and antigen chip therefor

Publication Date: 2022.04.19 EUROIMMUN MEDIZINISCHE LABORDIAGNOSTIKA

AI summary

A method is useful for automated detection of antibodies in a liquid biological sample with an antigen chip having antigen spots which are applied thereon and which have an identical, common dye. The antigen spots form respective antigen spot sets which form corresponding respective, regular antigen spot patterns. Furthermore, reference spots comprising the identical dye are applied, and form a reference spot set which forms a regular reference pattern. The reference pattern differs with respect to its regularity from the antigen spot patterns. Through a first image information item which represents a color of the reference spots and of the antigen spots due to the identical, first dye and through a second image information item which represents a potential color of the antigen spots due to a second dye after an incubation, binding of antibodies of the biological sample to respective antigen types is then determined by image processing.