Fluorescence Counting System for Virus Quantification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current diagnostic methods for COVID-19, such as PCR and immune chromatographic methods, face challenges with lengthy measurement times, limited detection sensitivity, and the need for skilled technicians, making them unsuitable for rapid and accurate screening, especially in situations like airport testing or acute infection diagnosis.
Innovation Solution
A fluorescence counting system using a phase solidified substrate with quantum crystals, where antigens or antibodies are immobilized on a metal substrate, allowing for fluorescence labeling and surface plasmon excitation to quantify viruses or antibodies through fluorescence imaging and counting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If PCR method is used for viral testing, then detection accuracy is improved, but measurement time increases to about 6 hours or more
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the gene amplification step from the diagnostic process and replaces it with direct antigen-antibody reaction. By taking out the time-consuming PCR amplification step while maintaining detection accuracy through fluorescent labeling of antigens or antibodies, the measurement time is significantly reduced without sacrificing detection precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical/chemical gene amplification process (PCR) with a biological recognition process (antigen-antibody reaction). This substitution allows direct detection of viral components without amplification, achieving both rapid results and accurate detection through fluorescent microscopy.
2Ease of operation
If immune chromatographic method is used for serological diagnosis, then ease of operation is improved, but detection sensitivity deteriorates due to qualitative only determination
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces fluorescent labels as intermediaries in the antigen-antibody reaction. These fluorescent markers serve as mediators that enable quantitative measurement through fluorescence intensity or particle counting, transforming the qualitative immune chromatographic method into a quantitative assay while maintaining operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes fluorescent color changes to enable quantitative detection. By incorporating fluorescent labels that emit light at specific wavelengths upon excitation, the method transforms the invisible or qualitative color change of traditional immunoassays into measurable fluorescent signals, significantly improving detection sensitivity while keeping the operation simple.
3Ease of operation
If serological diagnosis is performed for acute viral infections, then ease of sample collection is improved, but detection timing deteriorates as antibodies are induced as late as 1 week after onset
Solution Approach 1:
The invention inverts the traditional serological approach by detecting viral antigens directly instead of waiting for antibody production. This inversion allows detection of the virus itself during the acute phase of infection, eliminating the one-week delay associated with antibody induction while maintaining the simplicity of blood sample collection.
4Measurement precision
If PCR method is used for viral testing, then detection accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases due to requirement of sophisticated inspection equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses fluorescent labels as optical copies or markers that attach to viral antigens or antibodies. Instead of requiring complex PCR equipment for gene amplification and detection, the method employs simple fluorescent microscopy to detect the fluorescently labeled viral components, achieving high detection accuracy with minimal device complexity.
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 system enables rapid and accurate detection of viruses or antibodies, comparable to PCR methods, with improved sensitivity and simplicity, suitable for quick screening without requiring specialized equipment or skilled personnel.
Implementation Method 1
a fluorescence counting system using a phase solidified substrate with quantum crystals, where antigens or antibodies are immobilized on a metal substrate, allowing for fluorescence labeling and surface plasmon excitation
Implementation Method 2
a fluorescence excitation unit for viruses and antibodies captured on the solidified substrate and a fluorescence counting detection unit for viruses and antibodies captured on the solidified substrate
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a system capable of performing simple and rapid inspection of an antigen equivalent to the immune chromatographic method with accuracy good as a PCR method. An embodiment relates to a novel fluorescence counting system for quantifying viruses or antibodies in an analyte which comprises an unit of providing an antigen or antibody phase solidified substrate by an aggregation method with quantum crystals, an unit for making a labeling liquor and labeling a virus or an antibody to be measured in the analyte by an antigen-antibody method, an unit of exciting the fluorescently labeled virus or antibody by a surface plasmon excitation method, and an unit of counting fluorescent points in an excited fluorescent screen to quantify the virus or antibody in the analyte.