Portable Analytic Device Thermal Cycling and Optical Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing nucleic acid-based amplification reactions are often performed in bulky devices, limiting their portability and leading to issues like contamination, sample degradation, and delayed results due to the need for laboratory-based analysis.
Innovation Solution
A portable analytic device is developed, featuring a housing with a heating block and a heating unit that provides thermal energy to a sample, along with a light path for excitation and detection. The device is designed for use in a lab-free environment and can communicate with mobile electronic devices for instruction and result management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If bulky laboratory-based devices are used for amplification and detection, then analysis accuracy and reliability are improved, but device portability and ease of field use deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into functionally independent modules: a heating block for thermal cycling, an optical detection system with light paths and filters, a control unit, and a sample processing system. Each module operates independently but coordinates through the control unit, allowing the system to achieve laboratory-grade reliability while maintaining compact portability for field deployment.
2Adaptability or versatility
If samples are shipped to laboratories for analysis, then comprehensive testing can be performed, but sample contamination and degradation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The critical analysis functions (amplification and detection) are extracted from the laboratory environment and integrated into a self-contained portable device that travels with the sample. This eliminates the need to transport samples to external laboratories, thereby preventing contamination and degradation while maintaining comprehensive testing capabilities through onboard thermal cycling and optical detection systems.
3Adaptability or versatility
If samples are shipped to laboratories for analysis, then comprehensive testing can be performed, but analysis time and productivity decrease
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple laboratory functions including sample processing, thermal cycling for amplification, and optical detection are merged into a single integrated portable device. This consolidation eliminates the sequential delays of sample transport and inter-laboratory transfer, enabling all testing operations to be performed on-site and dramatically reducing total analysis time while preserving comprehensive testing capabilities.
4Stability of the object's composition
If heating blocks with high specific heat capacity materials are used, then thermal stability is improved, but heating efficiency and energy consumption worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The heating block is constructed from materials with low specific heat capacity (such as aluminum or aluminum alloys) rather than traditional high heat capacity materials. This parameter change reduces the energy required to heat the block during thermal cycling, improving heating efficiency and reducing power consumption while maintaining adequate thermal stability through optimized block geometry and insulation design.
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 portable device enables efficient amplification and detection of analytes in a compact, user-friendly format, reducing the risk of contamination and sample degradation while providing rapid results.
Implementation Method 1
the at least one heating unit provides thermal energy to the assay tube through the at least one heating block
Implementation Method 2
the at least one light path is configured to provide excitation energy from an excitation source to the assay tube
Implementation Method 3
the device comprises an optical detector disposed within the housing, the optical detector configured to detect emission energy from the biological sample within the assay tube
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides devices, systems, methods for processing and/or analyzing a biological sample. An analytic device for processing and/or analyzing a biological sample may comprise a moving carriage. The analytic device may be portable. The analytic device may receive instructions for performing an assay from a mobile electronic device external to a housing of the analytic device.