Borrelia Provocation Procedure for Lyme Disease Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current diagnostic methods for Lyme disease are plagued by low sensitivity and specificity, making early and accurate detection challenging, and existing treatments become less effective as the infection progresses, with Borrelia spirochetes adapting to evade immune systems and antibiotics.
Innovation Solution
The Borrelia Provocation Procedure (BPP) involves injecting benign tick saliva and co-factors into the dermis to lure Borrelia spirochetes into the bloodstream, allowing for accurate detection using PCR tests within 24-48 hours, thereby enhancing testing accuracy and treatment effectiveness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional antibody detection methods are used for Lyme disease diagnosis, then the testing procedure is simple and non-invasive, but the sensitivity and specificity are low making accurate detection difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by injecting tick saliva and co-factors into the dermis before performing the actual diagnostic test. This provocation procedure is performed 24-48 hours before blood sampling to lure Borrelia spirochetes into the bloodstream, thereby preparing the system to improve detection sensitivity and specificity of subsequent PCR tests.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses tick saliva and co-factors as intermediary substances to mediate between the patient's tissue-resident Borrelia spirochetes and the blood sampling procedure. These intermediaries lure the spirochetes into the bloodstream, enabling accurate detection without requiring direct access to tissue samples.
2Measurement precision
If blood testing is performed without provocation, then the procedure is non-invasive and simple, but Borrelia spirochetes are difficult to detect because they reside in tissues rather than blood
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs a preliminary provocation procedure by injecting tick saliva and co-factors into the dermis 24-48 hours before blood sampling. This action lures tissue-resident Borrelia spirochetes into the bloodstream, thereby improving detection sensitivity while maintaining the simplicity of blood draw procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces tick saliva and co-factors as intermediary substances that facilitate the movement of Borrelia spirochetes from tissue reservoirs into the bloodstream. This mediation enables sensitive detection via simple blood sampling without requiring invasive tissue biopsies.
3Reliability
If treatment is delayed until later stages of infection, then the initial diagnostic window is missed, but the infection becomes progressively more difficult to treat as Borrelia adapts and spreads to deep tissues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs a preliminary provocation procedure 24-48 hours before diagnostic testing to actively lure Borrelia spirochetes into the bloodstream. This enables early and accurate detection even when infection is in initial stages, allowing timely treatment before the pathogen adapts and spreads to deep tissues, thereby maintaining high treatment 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 BPP protocol significantly improves the sensitivity and specificity of Lyme disease testing, making it possible to detect infections non-invasively and treat them more effectively by increasing the blood concentration of spirochetes, making them more susceptible to traditional treatments.
Implementation Method 1
The Borrelia Provocation Procedure (BPP) involves injecting benign tick saliva and co-factors into the dermis to lure Borrelia spirochetes into the bloodstream
Data Source
AI summary
The testing for the Lyme disease pathogen, (Borrelia bergdorferi (Bb) and all other Lyme Borrelia), is notoriously difficult. Bb is not by nature a blood loving bacteria, and prefers the climate of avascular tissues such as cartilage. The Borrelia Provocation Procedure disclosed herein proposes to uniquely lure the Lyme Borrelia spirochetes into the blood through a simple procedure of sub-dermal injection of benign tick saliva and co-factors. Lyme Borrelia can then be tested accurately after the provocation injection (BPP), utilizing any Lyme Borrelia detection test ideally as a specific PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test for the most accurate results as there will be abundantly available DNA present in the blood if there is an existing infection. Treatment is more effective after provocation as well, due to the same action of the Bb. The provocation protocol taught herein makes accurate, non-invasive, active direct Lyme infection testing possible, and creates a platform for an effective treatment as well.