Medical Sampling Device for Bioanalyte Capture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical devices for isolating bioanalytes such as bacteria, extracellular vesicles, and circulating tumor cells from blood samples are limited by low purity, high contamination risks, and inefficiencies in sample processing, making them unsuitable for point-of-care diagnostics.
Innovation Solution
A medical sampling device that combines in vivo enrichment (flow biopsy) and solid phase extraction, featuring a wire with a receptor part that can be extended into a blood vessel to capture bioanalytes and then retracted for washing and elution, reducing contamination risks and improving sample purity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If traditional ultracentrifugation is used to isolate EVs, then EVs can be obtained, but impurities are present and purity is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a porous affinity matrix with controlled pore sizes that allows selective passage of EVs while retaining larger protein aggregates and other contaminants. The porous structure provides high surface area for affinity binding while enabling size-based filtration, thereby achieving both isolation and purification simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The affinity matrix is constructed as a composite material combining porous support structure with immobilized affinity capture agents (such as antibodies or aptamers). This composite approach enables dual functionality: the porous framework provides physical filtration while the affinity agents provide selective biochemical capture, resulting in high purity EV isolation.
2Manufacturing precision
If size exclusion chromatography is used for EV isolation, then purity improves, but it requires laboratory expertise and cannot isolate specific EV subsets
Solution Approach 1:
The affinity matrix is designed with universal porous architecture that can accommodate various types of affinity capture agents. By simply changing the coated antibodies or aptamers on the matrix, the same device can isolate different EV subsets (exosomes, microvesicles, tumor-derived EVs) without requiring different equipment or complex procedures, making it both simple to operate and highly specific.
3Productivity
If aqueous poly-ethylene Glycol is used to form EV aggregates, then centrifugation isolation is facilitated, but contamination of soluble non EV material is significant
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the problematic aggregation step and replaces it with direct affinity binding. Instead of using PEG to force aggregation of all EVs along with contaminants, the affinity capture agents selectively bind to EV surface markers, extracting only the target EVs from the complex biofluid environment without co-precipitating soluble contaminants.
4Manufacturing precision
If immunoaffinity capture with magnetic beads is used, then specific EV subsets can be isolated, but significantly large sample volume is required
Solution Approach 1:
The porous affinity matrix provides exponentially higher surface area compared to magnetic beads, allowing vastly increased loading of affinity capture agents within a compact volume. This high surface area to volume ratio enables efficient capture of rare EV subsets from small sample volumes, overcoming the limitation of requiring large blood samples.
5Manufacturing precision
If microfluidic devices are used for EV isolation, then isolation can be achieved, but they are expensive to manufacture and difficult to scale
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a disposable affinity column format where the porous affinity matrix is contained in a simple, inexpensive housing. Each column is pre-loaded with affinity agents and can be used once then discarded, eliminating the need for expensive microfluidic device manufacturing while maintaining isolation effectiveness. This approach is easily scalable and suitable for point-of-care 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
The device enables efficient capture and purification of bioanalytes, reducing contamination risks and improving the accuracy of diagnostic analyses, while also being suitable for point-of-care use due to its simplicity and reduced need for specialized equipment.
Implementation Method 1
a wire having a receptor part, the receptor part having receptors to bind target bioanalytes
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides a medical sampling device for capturing bioanalytes, including:a wire having a receptor part, the receptor part having receptors to bind target bioanalytes,a channel device defining a channel to receive the wire, the channel having a proximal end and a distal end,wherein the wire is movable with respect to the channel between at least an extended position in which at least an intravenous section of the receptor part extends from the distal end of the channel and a retracted position in which the intravenous section of the receptor part is retracted into the channel,wherein the channel device includes a liquid inlet arranged proximally with respect to at least a part of the intravenous section of the receptor part when the wire is arranged in the retracted position.