PCB Inductive Sensor for Magnetic Particle Quantification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current lateral-flow assays (LFAs) face challenges in sensitivity and quantifiability due to limitations in colorimetric reporters, with optical reporters being costly and prone to signal degradation, and inductive magnetic sensors having manufacturing difficulties and sensitivity issues with hand-wound coils.
Innovation Solution
The development of inductive sensors using integrated circuit or printed circuit board manufacturing to create more symmetric coils, enabling higher sensitivity and frequency operation, integrated with LFA technology for improved magnetic particle detection and quantification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If hand-wound coils are used in inductive magnetic sensors, then the device complexity is reduced and ease of manufacture is improved, but the manufacturing precision and symmetry of coils deteriorate, leading to reduced sensitivity and measurement precision
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical hand-winding process with automated PCB manufacturing processes. The inductive sensor coils are created through standard PCB trace deposition and etching, which provides consistent geometry and symmetry without manual intervention. This substitution of mechanical crafting with automated fabrication resolves the contradiction between ease of manufacture and manufacturing precision.
2Device complexity
If hand-wound coils are used in inductive magnetic sensors, then the device complexity is reduced, but the measurement precision and sensitivity deteriorate due to asymmetry and manufacturing variations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical hand-winding with automated PCB manufacturing, which eliminates the asymmetry and variations inherent in manual coil construction. The automated process ensures identical geometry for reference and measurement coils, significantly improving measurement precision while keeping the overall device concept simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational frequency parameter to higher frequencies (e.g., 6.78 MHz or 13.56 MHz) which enhances the sensitivity of the inductive sensor. This parameter change, combined with the PCB manufacturing approach, improves measurement precision without substantially increasing device complexity.
3Ease of operation
If colorimetric reporters are used in lateral-flow assays, then the ease of operation and cost are improved, but the sensitivity and quantifiability deteriorate due to limited signal capture and visual limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes optical detection (visual colorimetric reading) with electromagnetic induction detection. Magnetic particle reporters are detected through inductive coupling between PCB coils and the magnetic particles, enabling quantitative measurement through electrical signal analysis rather than visual assessment. This substitution dramatically improves quantifiability while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the detection modality from optical parameters (color intensity, light absorption) to electromagnetic induction parameters (induced voltage, impedance change). This parameter transformation enables precise quantitative measurement of magnetic particle concentration, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and measurement precision.
4Measurement precision
If optical reporters such as fluorescent dyes are used in lateral-flow assays, then the sensitivity may be improved, but the device complexity and cost increase due to reagent complexity and reader complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes complex optical detection systems (fluorescence readers, luminescence detectors) with a simple electromagnetic induction system using PCB coils. The inductive sensor requires only basic electronic components for signal generation and measurement, dramatically reducing reader complexity while maintaining high sensitivity through magnetic particle detection.
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 enhances sensitivity and quantifiability by ensuring uniform magnetic field distribution, allowing for precise detection and quantification of magnetic particles, thereby improving the accuracy of biomolecular and chemical sensing applications.
Implementation Method 1
The detection of the magnetic particles immobilized in an LFA media can be accomplished using inductive magnetic sensors
Implementation Method 2
The excitation source generates a time-varying magnetic field (alternating current (ac), a train of pulses, individual pulse, etc.) in the sample volume of the sample sensor and the reference volume of the reference sensor
Implementation Method 3
When the quantity of magnetic material inside the sample volume and the reference volume is different, a net non-zero induced voltage will be produced by the sensor pair that is proportional to the disparity in the quantity of the magnetic material within the volumes
Data Source
AI summary
The invention is a novel and non-obvious design and implementation of an inductive sensor for quantifying magnetic particles. The invention parts way from the conventional methods of using wounded coils to a design that is compatible with an integrated circuit (IC) chip fabrication processes and/or printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing. The increased accuracy from these fabrication methods provides a significant improvement to sensor sensitivity. In addition, the design of the inductive sensor enables easy integration with lateral flow assay (LFA) technology. The sensor can be applied to detect and quantify molecules to provide information on health, hazard or safety.