Magnetic Cell Assay Kit for Rapid CD4 Counting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for determining cell concentrations, particularly in field settings like storefront clinics or third-world countries, require trained personnel and sophisticated equipment, making them unsuitable for rapid and inexpensive testing of disease-related cells like CD4+ T-lymphocyte counts in HIV infection monitoring.
Innovation Solution
A cell assay kit and method using particles that attach specifically to target cells, increasing their density or magnetic susceptibility, allowing for separation and detection in a collection chamber under gravitational or magnetic forces, enabling simple, rapid, and inexpensive cell counting with minimal training and equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If flow cytometry or FACS is used to determine cell concentration, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and ease of operation worsen due to requirement of sophisticated equipment and trained personnel
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex electronic flow cytometry systems with a simple magnetic separation system. Magnetic particles bound to target cells are separated using basic magnetic attraction, eliminating the need for sophisticated flow cytometers and trained operators while maintaining measurement capability through visual or simple instrumental detection of separated cells
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts only the essential function of cell separation and counting from complex flow cytometry systems. By using magnetic particles to bind target cells and simple magnetic separation, it isolates the core measurement capability from the surrounding complexity of sophisticated equipment and specialized personnel requirements
2Measurement precision
If flow cytometry or FACS is used to determine cell concentration, then measurement precision is improved, but ease of operation worsens due to requirement of trained personnel
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex electronic flow cytometry systems with a simple magnetic separation system. Magnetic particles bound to target cells are separated using basic magnetic attraction, eliminating the need for sophisticated flow cytometers and trained operators while maintaining measurement capability through visual or simple instrumental detection of separated cells
Solution Approach 2:
The magnetic particles self-bind to target cells through specific magnetic tagging, and the magnetic field automatically separates bound cells without requiring complex operational procedures. This self-directed separation process eliminates the need for trained personnel to operate complex instruments
3Measurement precision
If conventional cell counting methods are used in field settings, then measurement precision may be maintained, but productivity worsens due to time-consuming procedures and equipment requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex electronic flow cytometry systems with a simple magnetic separation system. Magnetic particles bound to target cells are separated using basic magnetic attraction, eliminating the need for sophisticated flow cytometers and trained operators while maintaining measurement capability through visual or simple instrumental detection of separated cells
Solution Approach 2:
The magnetic separation process rapidly isolates target cells from the sample matrix in a single quick step, skipping the time-consuming preparation and analysis steps required by conventional methods. This enables fast processing of multiple samples in field settings
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 accurate and efficient determination of cell concentrations, such as CD4+ T-lymphocyte counts, in a user-friendly manner, suitable for resource-limited settings, facilitating timely disease monitoring and treatment decisions.
Implementation Method 1
particles capable of specific attachment to the cells, and being effective, when attached to the cells, to increase the density or magnetic susceptibility of the cells
Implementation Method 2
allowing particle-bound cells and free particles to be separated from non-particle bound cells in the sample based on their greater rate of migration through a selected-density and/or selected viscosity medium under the influence of a gravitational or applied centrifugal or magnetic-field force
Implementation Method 3
allowing particle-bound cells and free particles to be separated from non-particle bound cells in the sample based on their greater rate of migration through a selected-density and/or selected viscosity medium under the influence of a gravitational or applied centrifugal or magnetic-field force
Implementation Method 4
causing the particle-bound cells and particles in the cell sample to migrate through an elongate collection chamber containing the selected-density medium by subjecting the sample to a gravitational or selected centrifugal or magnetic-field force
Data Source
AI summary
A method and kit for assaying a cell sample for the presence of at least a threshold number of cells of a given type are disclosed. The kit includes an assay device having a sample chamber for receiving the cell sample and an elongate collection chamber containing a selected-density and/or viscosity medium and having along its length, a plurality of cell-collection regions, and particles which are capable of specific attachment to cells of the selected cell type, and which are effective, when attached to the cells, to increase the density or magnetic susceptibility of the cells. In operation, particle-bound cells and particles in the cell sample are drawn through the elongate collection chamber under the influence of a gravitational or selected centrifugal or magnetic-field force until the particle-bound cells and particles completely fill successive cell-collection regions in the collection chamber. Indicia associated with at least one collection regions indicates a concentration of cells of the selected type effective to at least partially fill that collection region.