Dye-Mediated Signal Detection in Liquid-Phase Dot Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Analytical methods that detect signals in the presence of a liquid phase often suffer from light interference, leading to false positive or false negative results due to unwanted light emission, which complicates the detection of analytes in multiplex assays using chemiluminescence or fluorescence.
Innovation Solution
The use of a dye, such as tartrazine, during signal acquisition in the liquid phase to absorb or mask unwanted light interference, thereby improving the detection of analytes without affecting the sensed signal, thus enhancing the reliability of the results by reducing background noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If signal acquisition is performed in the presence of a liquid phase to maintain stable and reproducible chemiluminescent emission, then the reliability of signal detection is improved, but light interference increases causing false positive or false negative results
Solution Approach 1:
A dye molecule acts as an intermediary substance added to the liquid phase. This dye selectively absorbs photons in the visible spectrum that would otherwise cause light interference (reflections, scattering, twin dots), while being transparent to the chemiluminescent photons emitted by the analyte. The dye thus mediates between the need for liquid-phase signal stability and the need to eliminate light interference artifacts.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical properties of the liquid phase are changed by adding the dye, which modifies the absorption spectrum of the medium. The dye introduces new absorption characteristics that selectively target harmful visible light wavelengths while preserving transmission of the chemiluminescent signal wavelengths, thereby changing the optical parameters of the system to favor signal detection over interference.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a washing step is performed before signal acquisition to remove residual substrate, then background noise is reduced, but the enzymatic reaction is stopped and signal emission fades
Solution Approach 1:
The dye serves as a mediator that allows the liquid phase to remain in contact with the solid support during signal acquisition without generating light interference. This eliminates the need for washing steps that would remove the substrate and stop the enzymatic reaction, thereby maintaining both low background noise and continuous signal emission.
3Productivity
If light interference is allowed to occur during signal acquisition in liquid phase, then signal acquisition can proceed continuously, but false positive or false negative results occur due to problematic background noise
Solution Approach 1:
The dye molecule acts as a mediator that enables continuous signal acquisition by suppressing light interference mechanisms (reflections at liquid/air interface, scattering in liquid phase, twin dot formation). This allows the system to maintain both continuous operation and high measurement precision by filtering out the harmful optical effects while preserving the chemiluminescent signal.
4Reliability
If an attenuator is used to suppress unwanted light, then false positives are reduced, but the attenuator requires specific conditions (cotton yarns, hollow pipette) that increase device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a complex physical attenuator structure, the invention changes the chemical/optical parameters of the liquid phase by adding a dye. This simple parameter change (adding a chemical substance) achieves false positive reduction without requiring complex device structures like hollow pipettes with cotton yarns, thereby maintaining reliability while greatly simplifying the device.
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 use of the dye significantly improves the signal-to-background noise ratio, reducing false positives and false negatives, and allows for more accurate detection of analytes in multiplex analytical methods by minimizing light interference from the liquid phase.
Implementation Method 1
The use of a dye, such as tartrazine, during signal acquisition in the liquid phase to absorb or mask unwanted light interference
Implementation Method 2
adding a substrate of the enzyme allows an enzymatic reaction which leads to the production of a chemiluminescent compound. The signal is then detected by chemiluminescence
Implementation Method 3
The one or more dots of at least one compartment of said solid support comprise a fluorophore
Data Source
AI summary
The use of at least one colorant is provided in order to improve the detection of a signal corresponding to the presence of an analyte in a dot analysis method, in particular when the detection of the signal takes place in the presence of a liquid phase. Also provided is a dot analysis method that can be used to improve the detection of a signal corresponding to the presence of an analyte, in the presence of a liquid phase containing at least one colorant.