Handheld Microarray Reader Using LED Excitation and CCD Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current diagnostic and forensic assays require specialized expertise and expensive equipment, making them inaccessible for immediate, local use by clinicians, patients, and other healthcare personnel, especially in field settings like medical clinics or crime scenes.
Innovation Solution
A hand-held portable microarray reader utilizing LEDs, lenses, and CCD cameras for quantitative detection of light emission from labeled biological samples, designed for point-of-care diagnostics and biodetection, capable of running on solar, battery, or USB power, with a compact and affordable design suitable for clinical or triage settings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional laboratory-based diagnostic assays are used, then measurement precision and reliability are improved, but device complexity and cost increase, requiring specialized expertise and expensive equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs disposable microarray slides with pre-attached capture probes that can be discarded after single use. This eliminates the need for complex cleaning and sterilization procedures between samples, reducing device complexity while maintaining detection accuracy. The disposable nature ensures consistent performance without requiring sophisticated maintenance protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
The microarray system incorporates self-contained reagent cartridges and pre-prepared slides that require minimal user intervention. The assay protocol is designed to be automated where possible, reducing the need for specialized technical expertise while maintaining reliable results. Users simply need to load samples and follow simplified procedures.
2Measurement precision
If traditional laboratory-based diagnostic assays are used, then measurement precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates, requiring specialized training
Solution Approach 1:
The diagnostic system is divided into discrete, modular components: pre-prepared microarray slides, sample application cartridges, and automated scanning units. Each component is optimized for its specific function, allowing non-experts to operate the system by simply assembling and loading components without understanding the complex underlying biology or chemistry.
Solution Approach 2:
Complex preparatory steps are performed in advance during manufacturing: capture probes are pre-attached to slides, reagents are pre-mixed and stored in stable formulations, and control elements are pre-positioned. This eliminates the need for users to perform complex sample preparation or reagent handling, making the assay accessible to personnel without specialized training.
3Ease of operation
If portable microarray readers are designed for field use, then ease of operation and adaptability are improved, but measurement precision may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The portable reader integrates multiple functions into a single handheld device: the light source for excitation, optical filters for wavelength selection, lens for focusing, and CCD camera for detection are all combined in one compact unit. This integration maintains detection accuracy while enabling field portability, as the system performs all necessary optical functions without requiring separate laboratory instruments.
Solution Approach 2:
The portable reader uses LED light sources with specific emission wavelengths matched to the fluorophores on the microarray, replacing traditional laser sources. This parameter change allows for compact, energy-efficient operation while maintaining sufficient excitation intensity for accurate detection. The optical filters are designed to selectively transmit only the relevant emission wavelengths, ensuring precise measurement despite the simplified optical path.
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
Enables rapid, sensitive, and quantitative biodetection of nucleic acids or proteins, reducing the need for laboratory-based equipment and trained personnel, while being adaptable for various biodetection scenarios, including biodosimetry and pathogen analysis, with results comparable to commercial scanners.
Implementation Method 1
a high-powered light-emitting diode that emits excitation light
Implementation Method 2
a lens positioned to receive the excitation light from the emission filter
Implementation Method 3
a CCD camera positioned to receive the excitation light from the lens
Data Source
AI summary
A hand-held portable microarray reader for biodetection includes a microarray reader engineered to be small enough for portable applications. The invention includes a high-powered light-emitting diode that emits excitation light, an excitation filter positioned to receive the excitation light, a slide, a slide holder assembly for positioning the slide to receive the excitation light from the excitation filter, an emission filter positioned to receive the excitation light from the slide, a lens positioned to receive the excitation light from the emission filter, and a CCD camera positioned to receive the excitation light from the lens.