Biomimetic Capacitive Sensor for Real-Time Pathogen Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for detecting and sanitizing foodborne pathogens on fresh produce are limited in their ability to monitor internalization and biofilm formation below the surface, leading to incomplete sanitization and potential health risks, as they rely on cumbersome traditional techniques that lack real-time monitoring and practicality for different pathogens and produce types.
Innovation Solution
A three-dimensional biomimetic sensor with capacitive electrodes and structured gaps that model the surface and subsurface of fresh food, allowing for impedance measurements to detect pathogens and biofilm formation in real-time, simulating pathogen transport and growth, and determining sanitization completeness by monitoring impedance changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional pathogen detection methods are used, then pathogen presence can be confirmed, but real-time monitoring of internalization and biofilm formation below the surface is not possible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a biomimetic model that replicates the physical structure of fresh food surfaces and subsurfaces, including pores and channels. This copy allows pathogens to internalize and form biofilms in a controlled environment that can be monitored in real-time, eliminating the need to wait for traditional culture methods while maintaining ecological relevance.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from surface-level detection to three-dimensional subsurface monitoring by creating a multi-layered biomimetic structure with electrodes positioned at different depths. This dimensional approach enables simultaneous monitoring of pathogen internalization and biofilm formation at multiple levels within the food matrix.
2Reliability
If traditional culturing techniques are used, then pathogen presence can be confirmed, but the process is cumbersome and lacks practicality for different pathogens and produce types
Solution Approach 1:
The biomimetic sensor platform is designed with universal applicability across different pathogen types and fresh food varieties. The standardized electrode configuration and biomimetic structure can detect various pathogens (bacteria, fungi, viruses) on different produce types without requiring complex reconfiguration, making the system both reliable and practical.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/cumbersome process of physical culturing and manual analysis with an automated electrical impedance measurement system. The sensor automatically detects pathogen internalization and biofilm formation through electrical signal changes, eliminating the need for labor-intensive culturing procedures while maintaining detection reliability.
3Reliability
If pathogens internalize inside pores and channels of produce, then they cannot be removed by washing, but traditional methods cannot monitor this internalization process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an electrical field as an intermediary mechanism to detect pathogen internalization. The biomimetic electrodes generate electrical signals that interact with pathogens as they move through the porous structure, allowing indirect detection of internalization events without physically disturbing the pathogen-food interaction process.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor system provides continuous feedback through real-time impedance measurements that indicate pathogen internalization and biofilm formation. This feedback mechanism allows immediate detection of contamination events and monitors the effectiveness of sanitization interventions, enabling dynamic adjustment of food safety protocols.
4Reliability
If biofilm formation is allowed to occur, then pathogen cells can stick together and to surfaces, but this significantly impedes inactivation processes during sanitization
Solution Approach 1:
The biomimetic sensor detects early stages of biofilm formation before they become highly resistant to sanitization. By monitoring impedance changes that indicate initial pathogen attachment and early biofilm development, the system enables timely intervention with sanitization measures before the biofilm reaches a state of high resistance, thereby maintaining sanitization effectiveness.
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
The sensor effectively detects pathogens and biofilm formation in real-time, improving sanitization processes by providing individualized information for different types of fresh food and pathogens, ensuring complete elimination of contaminants and reducing foodborne outbreaks.
Implementation Method 1
multiple measurable impedances that are affected in response to cell or polymeric biofilm presence that affects the electrostatic field around and between the electrodes
Implementation Method 2
Circuitry monitors a plurality of impedances affected by dielectric constants between the first and second, or first, second and third capacitor electrodes
Implementation Method 3
The second capacitor electrode includes pores sized and arranged to permit transport of a targeted pathogen in a manner that models a predetermined fresh food
Data Source
AI summary
A pathogen transport modelled biomimetic sensor includes a stack of capacitive electrodes with a plurality of gaps therebetween. The gaps and electrodes are structured and arranged to model an outer layer and one or more sublayers of fresh food of interest. The electrodes are arranged to provide multiple measurable impedances that are affected in response to cell or polymeric biofilm presence that affects the electrostatic field around and between the electrodes and consequently changes the measurable impedances.