Optical Biosensor Using Porous Enzyme Support for High Sensitivity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current self-diagnostic kits provide only qualitative analysis with low sensitivity, making them unsuitable for quantitative analysis of disease biomarkers like proteins, which requires high sensitivity, and are not suitable for on-site diagnosis due to the need for expensive equipment and complex multi-step processes.
Innovation Solution
An optical biosensor is developed using a porous support with an enzyme supported inside its pores, along with a chromogenic enzyme, which allows for easy quantitative and qualitative analysis by concentrating colorimetric signals, enabling high sensitivity without requiring expensive equipment or reagents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If membrane strip immunochromatographic analysis using gold conjugate is used, then ease of operation is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to low detection sensitivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses porous silica particles as a support material to immobilize enzymes. The porous structure provides large surface area for enzyme attachment and enables efficient mass transport of substrates and products, thereby enhancing the colorimetric signal while maintaining ease of operation in self-diagnostic kits
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the detection mechanism from gold conjugate colorimetry to enzyme-catalyzed colorimetric reaction. By using enzymes with high catalytic efficiency and selecting appropriate chromogenic substrates, the detection sensitivity is dramatically improved while the operation remains simple through visual inspection or basic optical detection
2Measurement precision
If fluorescent materials or radioisotopes are used to overcome low sensitivity, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase due to expensive detectors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs inexpensive enzyme-substrate systems that generate stable colorimetric signals. The reagents are designed to be stable, easy to store, and suitable for disposable test strips, eliminating the need for expensive fluorescent or radioisotope detectors while maintaining high detection sensitivity through visual or simple optical reading
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex fluorescence or radioactivity detection systems with simple colorimetric detection. The enzyme-catalyzed production of colored products allows for straightforward visual inspection or basic spectrophotometric measurement, dramatically simplifying the detection device while achieving comparable or superior sensitivity
3Measurement precision
If enzyme immunoassay is conducted in laboratories, then measurement precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to complicated multi-step processes requiring washing and separate enzymatic reactions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the immunochromatographic separation step and the enzyme-catalyzed detection step into a single integrated test strip. The enzyme is pre-immobilized on the strip, and the substrate is included in the sample buffer, allowing the entire assay to be completed in one step without intermediate washing or separate reaction steps
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs a universal test strip platform that can detect various analytes by simply changing the antibody or enzyme used. The integrated design with pre-immobilized enzymes and included substrates makes the system adaptable to different applications while maintaining simplicity and high sensitivity across all uses
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 optical biosensor achieves remarkably improved sensitivity and reproducibility, allowing for quantitative determination and qualitative analysis with a small sample quantity, and can be used for various applications with different chromogenic substrates, making it suitable for on-site diagnosis.
Implementation Method 1
an enzyme-supported porous support which concentrates a colorimetric signal from an enzymatic reaction
Implementation Method 2
enzymatic reactions and antigen-antibody interactions. Enzymes and antibodies recognize their targets with very high specificity and also exhibit high reaction efficiency
Implementation Method 3
a chromogenic enzyme, which allows for easy quantitative and qualitative analysis by concentrating colorimetric signals
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides an optical biosensor based on a complex including a porous support on a chip and enzyme(s) immobilized inside the pores of the porous support, and a method for preparing the same. Since the colored product does not flow out of the pores but is concentrated therein, the optical biosensor of the present disclosure has remarkably improved sensitivity. In addition, it is possible to carry out quantitative determination and qualitative analysis since color intensity increases with time.