Microneedle Patch for Rapid Plant Pathogen Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current disease detection technologies for crops are laboratory-based, requiring well-equipped facilities and skilled technicians, making them inaccessible for resource-limited regions, and there is a need for field-portable and cost-effective methods to address the significant agricultural productivity losses due to plant diseases.
Innovation Solution
A microneedle-based method for extracting analytes from plant or animal tissues using a microneedle patch with a polymer body, allowing for rapid extraction and analysis of DNA or RNA without cell lysis, combined with a smartphone amplification platform for isothermal amplification and detection, enabling field-ready diagnostics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If laboratory-based disease detection technologies (isolation, culture, PCR, ELISA) are used, then detection accuracy and reliability are improved, but device complexity and infrastructure requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the essential function of pathogen detection from complex laboratory settings by using microneedles to directly extract analytes (DNA, RNA, proteins) from plant tissues. This extraction approach isolates the diagnostic function from the need for full laboratory infrastructure, enabling field-based detection while maintaining reliability through direct analyte acquisition.
Solution Approach 2:
The microneedle serves as an intermediary device between the plant tissue and the detection system. It facilitates analyte extraction and transfer without requiring complex laboratory equipment, acting as a bridge that enables simplified field-based detection while maintaining the reliability needed for accurate pathogen identification.
2Reliability
If conventional laboratory-based detection methods are used, then comprehensive pathogen analysis is improved, but loss of time in sample preparation and analysis increases
Solution Approach 1:
The microneedle performs preliminary analyte extraction and concentration directly at the field site before detection. By pre-extracting and concentrating the analyte in the microneedle matrix, the system eliminates time-consuming laboratory sample preparation steps while maintaining comprehensive pathogen analysis capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention skips the traditional time-consuming steps of tissue homogenization, centrifugation, and extensive purification by using microneedles to directly extract and concentrate analytes in a single rapid action. This rushes through the sample preparation phase while preserving the ability to perform comprehensive pathogen analysis.
3Ease of operation
If field-portable detection systems are developed, then ease of operation and accessibility are improved, but measurement precision and detection sensitivity may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The microneedle is designed with local quality variations - the tip is optimized for tissue penetration while the shaft provides analyte extraction and concentration. This localized functional differentiation enables field-portable operation while maintaining detection sensitivity through optimized analyte concentration at the detection interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The microneedle material properties and geometry are optimized to change parameters such as surface area, porosity, and chemical composition to enhance analyte concentration. These parameter changes compensate for the reduced sensitivity that might result from field-based operation, maintaining measurement precision while improving ease of operation.
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 reduces sample preparation time from hours to minutes, allows for direct field detection of pathogens like Phytophthora infestans and tomato spotted wilt virus, and facilitates the delivery of therapeutic agents like fungicides, enhancing agricultural diagnostics and disease management.
Implementation Method 1
the removed microneedle comprises absorbed analyte extracted from the plant tissue or the animal tissue
Data Source
AI summary
Methods of extracting analytes of interest from biological samples including soft plant tissues (e.g., plant leaves) or animal tissues are described. The methods include contacting the biological samples with a microneedle that absorbs the analyte of interest. Related systems and methods of detecting pathogens or pests or of genotyping the plant or animal from which the biological sample is derived are described. Also described are methods of delivering a substance of interest (e.g., a pesticide) to a plant by contacting a soft plant tissue with a microneedle coated with the substance of interest.