Hookworm Antigen Detection via Specific Antibody Binding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for diagnosing hookworm infections, such as microscopic examination of fecal samples, are time-consuming, require specialized equipment, and have low specificity, making early detection challenging and potentially leading to misdiagnosis and ineffective treatment.
Innovation Solution
Development of antibodies that specifically bind to hookworm antigens, allowing for the detection of hookworm infections in samples like feces, whole blood, or serum using devices like lateral flow immunoassays, which can differentiate between hookworm and other parasitic worm antigens, enabling early detection as soon as 9 days post-infection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If microscopic examination of fecal samples is used for diagnosis, then detection capability is achieved, but the method is time-consuming and requires specialized equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical microscopic examination system with an immunoassay system that uses antibodies to detect hookworm antigens. This substitution eliminates the need for microscopes and specialized equipment while providing rapid results within minutes, directly resolving the contradiction between detection capability and time consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces antibodies as intermediary substances that specifically bind to hookworm antigens in fecal samples. These antibodies act as mediators between the sample and the detection system, enabling specific detection without requiring microscopic examination or specialized equipment, thus reducing both time and equipment requirements.
2Measurement precision
If microscopic examination is used, then detection can be performed, but specificity is low leading to misdiagnosis
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using highly specific antibodies that are designed to recognize and bind only to unique epitopes on hookworm antigens. This specificity ensures that the test detects only hookworm infections and not other parasitic worms, eliminating misdiagnosis while maintaining detection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The immunoassay system uses colorimetric detection where a visible color change indicates the presence of hookworm antigens. This color-based readout provides clear, unambiguous results that are not subject to the interpretive errors that plague microscopic examination, thereby improving reliability and specificity.
3Measurement precision
If fecal sample processing is performed using traditional methods, then detection is possible, but the procedure is complex and requires skilled technicians
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple steps of the traditional fecal processing procedure into a single immunoassay test. The antibody-based assay directly detects hookworm antigens in the fecal sample without requiring separate steps for concentration, differentiation, or microscopic examination, thereby simplifying the overall procedure and eliminating the need for skilled technicians.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and detects hookworm-specific antigens directly from fecal samples using antibody-antigen binding. This approach eliminates the need to extract and examine eggs or larvae under a microscope, removing complex processing steps while maintaining detection capability through direct antigen detection.
4Measurement precision
If microscopic detection of ova is used, then diagnosis can be made, but early detection is not possible as ova appear late in infection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary detection of hookworm antigens before eggs are produced and excreted in feces. By detecting antigens from the adult worms in the intestinal tract, the system enables diagnosis during the early symptomatic phase of infection, allowing treatment before egg production begins and preventing transmission.
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 solution provides a rapid, specific, and early detection of hookworm infections, reducing the risk of misdiagnosis and allowing for timely and effective treatment, while also distinguishing between hookworm and other parasitic worm infections.
Implementation Method 1
antibodies that specifically bind to a polypeptide including all or an antigenic portion of the amino acid sequence that corresponds to SEQ ID NOS:1 AND 2
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, devices, kits and compositions for detecting the presence or absence of hookworm in a fecal sample are disclosed herein. The methods, devices, kits and compositions of the present invention may be used to confirm the presence or absence of hookworm in a fecal sample from a mammal that may also be infected with one or more of roundworm, whipworm, and heartworm. Confirmation of the presence or absence of hookworm in the mammal may be made, for example, for the purpose of selecting an optimal course of treating the mammal and/or for the purpose of determining whether the mammal has been rid of the infection after treatment has been initiated.