Molecular Arm Shear Flow Sensor Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods lack effective techniques for directly measuring and visualizing multiaxial and dynamic shear flows in biological contexts, such as in vitro or in vivo, which are crucial for understanding physiological changes and diagnosing conditions like atherosclerosis and coronary microvasculature disease.
Innovation Solution
The development of a molecular arm comprising an anchor, a force indicator, and a shear flow resistor, which expands to provide an optical signal when exposed to fluid flow above a critical velocity, allowing for the measurement and visualization of shear flows across surfaces like cell membranes or blood vessel linings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional imaging methods are used to visualize shear flows, then the measurement capability is limited, but the device complexity and cost are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The molecular arm is divided into distinct functional segments: an anchor domain for surface attachment, a force indicator domain with fluorophore-quencher pairs for optical signaling, and a shear flow resistor domain for mechanical sensing. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while enabling modular design and optimization.
Solution Approach 2:
The force indicator acts as an intermediary element that transduces mechanical shear flow forces into optical signals. The fluorophore-quencher pairs serve as the mediating mechanism, where mechanical expansion separates the fluorophore from the quencher, converting mechanical energy into detectable optical energy without requiring direct complex instrumentation.
2Reliability
If molecular arms are deployed to measure shear flows in vivo, then real-time physiological data can be obtained, but the invasiveness and potential harm to tissues increase
Solution Approach 1:
The molecular arm creates an optical copy or representation of the mechanical shear flow environment through fluorescent signaling. Instead of requiring complex physical sensors that would invade tissue, the system uses fluorescent reporters that emit light patterns corresponding to shear flow conditions, providing indirect but accurate measurement that minimizes tissue disruption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical sensing systems with a biochemical-optical system. The molecular arm uses conformational changes and fluorescent emission rather than mechanical displacement or force transduction mechanisms, thereby reducing the physical footprint and invasiveness of the measurement device while maintaining measurement capability.
3Measurement precision
If the shear flow resistor is made larger to increase sensitivity, then the detection threshold is improved, but the device occupies more space and may interfere with natural flow patterns
Solution Approach 1:
The sensitivity of the shear flow resistor is tuned by modifying parameters such as the number of repeats in the coiled-coil structure, the length of the tether, or the stiffness of the mechanical element. These parameter adjustments allow optimization of detection thresholds without necessarily increasing the overall size of the molecular arm, as the sensitivity can be scaled through molecular design rather than physical dimensioning.
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 real-time measurement and correlation of shear flows with physiological changes, providing insights into conditions like atherosclerosis and coronary microvasculature disease, and facilitating diagnostic imaging and quantification of bodily fluid flow.
Implementation Method 1
the shear flow resistor causes the force indicator to expand providing an optical signal if exposed to a liquid that flows past the molecular arm in a stationary position at or above a critical velocity
Implementation Method 2
providing an optical signal
Data Source
AI summary
It is an object of this disclosure to provide systems, devices, and methods for the direct use of fluorescent reporters that measure multiaxial and dynamic shear flows that occur invitro or in vivo across a surface of interest, where shear flows canbe measured, quantified and/or correlated to physiological changes in cells or tissues in real time. In certain embodiments, this disclosure contemplates imaging or visualizing the shear field applied to a surface, e.g., a surface of cells or inner lining of a blood vessel, the lumen of pumping lymphatics, within the bile duct, vessels with significant leakage, inflamed endothelium, tumor vasculature, or other systems.