Retro-Reflective Optical Gene Biosensor for Miniaturized Nucleic Acid Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional molecular beacon-based biosensors require expensive and bulky optical equipment for fluorescence-based detection, making them difficult to miniaturize and commercialize, and are complex to assemble due to the need for sophisticated optical components.
Innovation Solution
An optical gene biosensor using a retro-reflective optical marker system, where a molecular beacon anchored to a substrate binds with a target nucleic acid molecule and an optical marker that retro-reflects light, allowing for quantitative analysis without the need for expensive equipment, using a substrate, molecular beacon, optical marker, light source, and light receiver.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional fluorescence-based detection is used, then detection sensitivity is achieved, but device cost and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive, sophisticated optical equipment with simple, inexpensive components including a basic light source (LED or halogen lamp), simple optical filters (long-pass and band-pass filters), and a photodetector. This substitution principle maintains detection functionality while dramatically reducing system cost and complexity, enabling the biosensor to be miniaturized and commercialized.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the need for complex monochromators, high-power lasers, and sophisticated optical alignment systems from the detection system. By removing these expensive components and retaining only the essential optical elements (light source, filters, photodetector), the system achieves both cost reduction and simplified assembly while preserving detection sensitivity.
2Measurement precision
If conventional fluorescence-based detection is used, then detection sensitivity is achieved, but device portability and miniaturization become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes heavy, expensive optical components with lightweight, inexpensive alternatives. The use of simple LED or halogen lamps instead of high-power lasers, combined with compact optical filters and small photodetectors, enables significant weight reduction and facilitates device miniaturization and portability while maintaining detection sensitivity.
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If conventional fluorescence-based detection is used, then detection capability is achieved, but assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the need for complex optical alignment and assembly procedures by eliminating monochromators, beam steering mirrors, and other components requiring precise positioning. The simplified system with fixed optical filters and a straightforward light path enables easier manufacturing and assembly while preserving the ability to detect fluorescence signals.
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 high-sensitivity quantitative analysis of target nucleic acid molecules without the use of expensive optical equipment, simplifying the setup and improving portability and cost-effectiveness compared to conventional biosensors.
Implementation Method 1
an optical marker specifically binding to the first compound, wherein the optical marker is configured to retro-reflect irradiated light
Implementation Method 2
one end of the oligonucleotide is modified with a fluorophore, while the other end thereof is modified with a quencher which can absorb and quench fluorescence derived from the fluorophore
Implementation Method 3
the fluorophore and the quencher defining both distal ends of the molecular beacon are adjacent to each other. As a result, the fluorescence from the fluorophore is transferred to the quencher via fluorescence resonance energy transfer and thus is quenched
Data Source
AI summary
An optical gene biosensor is disclosed. The optical gene biosensor includes a substrate; a molecular beacon anchored to the substrate, wherein the molecular beacon includes an oligonucleotide specifically binding to a target nucleic acid molecule and a first compound bound to a first terminal of the oligonucleotide; an optical marker specifically binding to the first compound, wherein the optical marker is configured to retro-reflect irradiated light; a light source for irradiating the optical marker with light; and a light-receiver for receiving light retro-reflected from the optical marker. The optical gene biosensor may perform accurate quantitative analysis of a target nucleic acid molecule using both non-spectral and spectral light sources.