Lipid Bilayer Sensor Array Multiplexing for Cost Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current techniques for detecting molecular interactions using membrane proteins in lipid bilayers are complex, expensive, and difficult to scale up due to the need for sensitive detection circuits to amplify small, short-duration electrical signals from individual sensor elements, leading to high costs and inefficiencies, especially when detecting large numbers of interactions or small sample volumes.
Innovation Solution
An array of sensor elements with variable quality of performance is used, where the number of sensor elements exceeds the number of detection channels, with a switch arrangement to selectively connect detection channels to sensor elements with acceptable quality, increasing efficiency and reducing costs by providing redundancy and tolerance to variations in sensor element performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the number of sensor elements is increased to detect large numbers of molecular interactions, then the detection capacity is improved, but the cost and complexity increase due to requiring proportional increases in detection channels
Solution Approach 1:
Each detection channel is designed to be universally applicable to multiple sensor elements through the switching arrangement. The same detection channel can sequentially serve different sensor elements, allowing a reduced number of detection channels to handle a larger array of sensor elements without requiring proportional increases in detection circuit complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically reconfigures the connection between detection channels and sensor elements using a switching arrangement. This dynamic switching allows detection channels to be allocated to different sensor elements based on real-time needs, enabling efficient resource utilization and reducing the total number of detection channels required
2Measurement precision
If separate detection channels are provided for each sensor element to maintain sufficient sensitivity and time resolution, then the measurement precision is improved, but the cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The switching arrangement enables dynamic allocation of detection channels to sensor elements, ensuring that each active sensor element receives dedicated detection resources when needed. This dynamic time-division multiplexing maintains measurement precision equivalent to having dedicated channels while reducing the total number of channels required
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs periodic switching between different sensor elements and detection channels in a time-division multiplexed manner. Each sensor element is periodically connected to a detection channel for signal acquisition, ensuring sufficient time resolution and sensitivity while sharing detection resources across multiple elements
3Device complexity
If the number of detection channels is reduced to lower costs, then the device complexity is improved, but the efficiency of detecting large numbers of interactions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Each detection channel is designed to serve multiple sensor elements through the switching arrangement, increasing its universality. This allows a smaller number of detection channels to effectively monitor a larger array of sensor elements, maintaining detection efficiency while reducing circuit complexity and cost
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a replicated switching arrangement that can rapidly connect detection channels to different sensor elements. This switching copying mechanism allows the same detection channel to effectively 'copy' its detection capability across multiple sensor elements in sequence, maintaining overall detection efficiency with fewer channels
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 approach significantly increases the efficiency of detection channel utilization, from 36% to over 80%, reducing the need for expensive detection channels and maintaining uniform efficiency, while allowing for more effective detection of molecular interactions and improved tolerance to sensor element degradation.
Implementation Method 1
The interaction of the molecular entity with the membrane protein is capable of modulating an electrical signal appearing across the lipid bilayer, for example modulating an ionic current flowing through a membrane protein that is a protein pore
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for sensing of an interaction of a molecular entity with a membrane protein in a lipid bilayer comprises an array of sensor elements (21) arranged to output an electrical signal that is dependant on occurrences of the interaction. A detection circuit (3) comprised detection channels (30) capable of amplifying an electrical signal from a sensor element. More sensor elements (21) are provided than detection channels (30), and detection channels (30) are selectively connected to sensor elements (21) that have acceptable quality of performance in that a lipid bilayer is formed and that an acceptable number of membrane proteins are inserted, on the basis of the amplified electrical signals that are output from the detection channels. This improves the efficiency of utilization of the detection channels, due to inefficiency in the utilization of the sensor elements, resulting in a reduction in the cost of the apparatus and the ability to perform sensing using relatively small samples.