SDS Blood Particle Dissolution for Pathogen Mass Spectrometry
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for mass spectrometric identification of pathogens in blood cultures face challenges in separating microbes from human proteins, leading to interfering signals and uncertain identification, especially in blood samples with low microbial concentrations.
Innovation Solution
The use of a strong tenside, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), is introduced to dissolve blood particles without damaging microbial cells, allowing for the direct sedimentation and purification of microbes, followed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) sample preparation for mass spectrometric analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional separation methods are used to separate microbes from blood, then microbial concentration is improved, but human proteins still interfere with mass spectrometric analysis
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes human proteins from the blood sample using specific separation techniques before mass spectrometric analysis. This involves selective extraction methods that isolate microbial components while leaving human proteins behind, thereby eliminating the harmful interference in the mass spectrum and improving the quality of pathogen identification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary substances or methods to facilitate the separation process. These intermediaries help distinguish between microbial and human proteins, enabling selective detection of microbial markers in the presence of abundant human proteins without direct interference.
2Loss of time
If blood samples with low microbial concentrations are analyzed, then early diagnosis is improved, but identification accuracy deteriorates due to interfering signals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical separation methods with mass spectrometric detection that can directly identify microbial proteins in complex blood matrices. This substitution allows for highly sensitive detection of low-concentration microbial markers without requiring extensive purification, thereby maintaining identification accuracy even in early-stage infections with low bacterial loads.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter changes in the mass spectrometric analysis, such as adjusting mass-to-charge ratio ranges, ionization conditions, and detection sensitivity thresholds, to optimize the detection of low-concentration microbial proteins amidst human protein background, enabling accurate early diagnosis.
3Productivity
If conventional mass spectrometric methods are used without prior separation, then analysis speed is improved, but identification reliability deteriorates due to signal interference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-processing blood samples to remove or reduce human protein interference before mass spectrometric analysis. This preliminary separation step ensures that the subsequent rapid mass spectrometric detection operates on cleaned samples, maintaining both high analysis speed and high identification reliability without compromise.
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 method enables rapid and sensitive identification of microbial species or subspecies in blood samples with high accuracy, even at low microbial concentrations, allowing for immediate targeted therapy in septicemia cases without prior knowledge of the pathogens.
Implementation Method 1
The use of a strong tenside, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), is introduced to dissolve blood particles without damaging microbial cells
Implementation Method 2
allowing for the direct sedimentation and purification of microbes
Implementation Method 3
followed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) sample preparation for mass spectrometric analysis
Data Source
AI summary
The invention mainly relates to the mass spectrometric identification of pathogens in blood cultures from bloodstream infections (septicemia). The invention provides a method with which microbial pathogens can be separated in purified form from blood after a relatively brief cultivation in a blood culture flask, without any interfering human proteins or any residual fractions of blood particles such as erythrocytes and leukocytes, and can be directly identified by mass spectrometric measurement of their protein profiles. The method is based on the use of relatively strong tensides to destroy the blood particles by dissolving the weak cell membranes and most of the internal structures of the blood particles; in spite of the fact that tensides are regarded as strong ionization inhibitors in MALDI and other ionization processes required for mass spectrometric measurements. This method allows unknown pathogens to be obtained in their pure form by centrifuging or filtration and to be identified on the taxonomic level of species or subspecies. Problems with DNA from high levels of leukocytes can be resolved by special measures. After sufficient cultivation, the identification in a mass spectrometric laboratory takes only half an hour.