Magnetic Target Capture Cartridge for Rapid Pathogen Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for isolating pathogens from biological samples are time-consuming and inefficient, often requiring extensive sample preparation and incubation/enrichment steps, which can compromise test sensitivity and result in delayed diagnosis and treatment.
Innovation Solution
A target capture system that includes a cartridge with magnetic particles and an instrument with magnetic, pneumatic, and fluidic assemblies to rapidly isolate targets from a sample without the need for extensive sample preparation, using magnetic traps and lysing mechanisms to concentrate and process the sample within the cartridge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If incubation/enrichment steps are performed to detect low levels of pathogens, then the sensitivity of pathogen detection is improved, but the time required for diagnosis is significantly increased
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary magnetic capture of pathogens from the sample before incubation. Magnetic particles functionalized with pathogen-specific antibodies are added to the sample, and a magnetic field is applied to concentrate and isolate pathogens onto magnetic beads. This preliminary enrichment step allows direct detection without requiring lengthy incubation periods, thus reducing diagnosis time while maintaining detection sensitivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and isolates pathogens from the complex biological sample matrix using magnetic separation. By removing pathogens from the bulk sample and concentrating them onto magnetic particles, the system eliminates the need for time-consuming incubation steps while preserving pathogen integrity and detectability. The extracted pathogens are then ready for rapid nucleic acid extraction and analysis.
2Reliability
If large volume of fluid is introduced into microfluidic device for pathogen isolation, then the chance of containing pathogen is increased, but sample loss and contamination risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces mechanical transfer methods (pipetting, pumping) with magnetic field-based manipulation. Magnetic particles capturing pathogens are manipulated entirely within the cartridge using magnetic fields, eliminating the need to physically transfer large volumes of fluid into microfluidic devices. This substitution ensures complete sample utilization while preventing contamination and sample loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The system nests multiple functional components within a single integrated cartridge: magnetic particles, capture antibodies, nucleic acid extraction reagents, and reaction chambers are all contained within the cartridge. This nested design allows the entire pathogen isolation and nucleic acid extraction process to occur in one sealed unit, eliminating the need to transfer samples between multiple devices and preventing sample loss or contamination.
3Measurement precision
If extensive sample preparation is performed before microfluidic analysis, then the quality of input sample is improved, but the time required for processing is significantly increased
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges pathogen capture, concentration, and nucleic acid extraction into a single integrated process within the cartridge. Magnetic particles simultaneously perform pathogen capture and serve as carriers for nucleic acid extraction reagents. The cartridge design combines macrofluidic sample processing with microfluidic analysis chambers, eliminating the need for separate preparation steps and enabling direct analysis with minimal processing time.
Solution Approach 2:
The magnetic particles serve multiple functions: pathogen capture via antibody binding, pathogen concentration via magnetic separation, and nucleic acid extraction via integrated reagents. The cartridge itself performs multiple functions including sample reception, magnetic separation, nucleic acid extraction, and preparation for microfluidic analysis. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for extensive sequential sample preparation steps.
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 and sensitive isolation of pathogens, improving the efficiency of nucleic acid extraction and analysis, reducing the time to diagnosis and treatment, and minimizing sample loss and contamination.
Implementation Method 1
A target capture system of the invention concentrates essentially all of a clinically relevant portion of a sample (less than 1 mL) from an initial sample volume of about 10 mL
Implementation Method 2
The cartridge may further include a matrix for receiving lysate from the first magnetic trap and retaining nucleic acid from the lysate
Data Source
AI summary
The invention generally relates to a system for isolating or separating a target from a sample. In certain aspects, processes performed by the target capture system include introducing a plurality of magnetic particles, in which a plurality of the particles include at least one binding moiety specific to a target, into a sample to form at least one target/particle complex and applying a magnetic field to isolate the magnetic particle/target complexes from the sample. The process starts at inputting a sample into the system and ends at delivering a capture target or nucleic acids of the target into a container for further analysis.