Magnetic Capture Particle Pooling for Analyte Concentration
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for large-scale diagnostic screening using patient sample pools often result in dilution of target analytes, leading to reduced assay accuracy and increased false negative rates due to the combination of sample materials, limiting the number of samples that can be pooled while maintaining sufficient accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A method utilizing magnetic capture particles to pool analyte from multiple samples without direct combination of sample materials, involving contacting each sample with a magnetic collection device and particles, binding the particles, and transferring them between samples to collect and pool analytes without releasing them, thereby avoiding substantial dilution of the target analyte.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple samples are pooled by direct combination of sample materials, then sample throughput is increased, but target analyte concentration is diluted leading to reduced assay accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the target analyte from each individual sample using magnetic capture particles before pooling. By separating the analyte of interest from the complex sample matrix and concentrating it on magnetic particles, then pooling only the particles containing analyte rather than the entire sample volumes, the method increases throughput while maintaining analyte concentration and assay accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
Magnetic capture particles serve as an intermediary medium to transfer and pool analytes between samples. Instead of directly combining sample materials which causes dilution, the particles act as carriers that can be easily transferred and concentrated, enabling pooling without losing analyte concentration.
2Productivity
If multiple samples are pooled by direct combination, then processing efficiency is improved, but false negative rate increases due to analyte dilution
Solution Approach 1:
The method extracts analytes from individual samples onto magnetic particles before pooling, ensuring that even samples with low analyte concentrations contribute concentrated analyte to the pool. This extraction step prevents dilution-related false negatives while maintaining high processing efficiency through batch pooling.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the concentration parameter of the analyte by concentrating it on magnetic particles before pooling. This parameter change ensures that the analyte remains above the detection threshold even when multiple samples are pooled, thereby reducing false negative rates while maintaining processing efficiency.
3Productivity
If sample materials are substantially combined for pooling, then assay throughput is increased, but the number of poolable samples is limited due to dilution effects
Solution Approach 1:
By extracting analytes onto magnetic particles from each sample individually before pooling, the method enables a much larger number of samples to be pooled without dilution effects. The particles can be transferred between samples without combining large volumes of sample material, allowing scalable pooling of many more samples than conventional methods.
Solution Approach 2:
Magnetic particles serve as an intermediary that decouples the number of poolable samples from the dilution effect. Since particles can be easily transferred and concentrated, the system can handle a much larger quantity of samples in each pool without the concentration limits that constrain conventional pooling methods.
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 allows for the detection of pathogen-derived analytes in patient samples with increased sample throughput and accuracy, enabling the pooling of more samples without dilution, thereby reducing false negative rates and improving assay reliability.
Implementation Method 1
binding the particles to the magnetic collection device by applying a magnetic force
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2A
AI summary
The invention pertains to a process of pooling analyte from multiple samples by combining only analyte molecules without a substantial pooling of sample material. Large scape diagnostic screening often uses patient sample pools to increase sample throughput. Using such patient pools, negative tests indicate that all samples in the pool are negative, whereas appositive detection leads to a deconvolution of the sample pool and individual patient sample testing to identify the one or more positive samples. The present invention uses magnetic capture particles to pool analyte from multiple samples without any substantial combination of the sample material which would otherwise lead to an unfavourable dilution of the analyte species to be detected.