Rapid Antibiotic Susceptibility Detection via Shear Stress
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for determining antibiotic susceptibility are time-consuming, costly, and insensitive, particularly for slow-growing organisms, as they rely on bacterial growth phases, which delays appropriate antibiotic treatment for infections caused by resistant microbes.
Innovation Solution
A rapid diagnostic method and device that applies shear or chemical stress to bacteria in the presence of an antibiotic, using a reporter moiety to determine susceptibility without requiring a growth phase, allowing for immediate identification of effective antibiotics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional antibiotic susceptibility testing methods are used, then accurate determination of antibiotic susceptibility is achieved, but the process is time-consuming and requires bacterial growth phases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-immobilizing bacteria on a solid support before the actual susceptibility testing. This preparation step allows the bacteria to be in a ready state for immediate stress application and antibiotic exposure, eliminating the need for time-consuming growth phases during the actual test. The bacteria are positioned and prepared in advance, so when the stressor and antibiotic are applied, the system can immediately detect susceptibility without waiting for bacterial proliferation.
2Measurement precision
If bacterial growth phase is required for susceptibility testing, then accurate results are obtained, but treatment delays occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the bacterial growth requirement from the susceptibility testing process. By using immobilized bacteria that are already in a metabolically active state, the method separates the detection function from the growth function. The bacteria don't need to undergo a growth phase to provide sufficient signal for detection, as their immobilized state combined with stress-induced metabolic changes provides adequate detectable signal for accurate susceptibility determination within minutes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the biological growth-based detection system with a stress-response-based detection system. Instead of relying on bacterial proliferation (a slow biological process), the method applies mechanical or chemical stressors that trigger immediate metabolic responses. These responses, when combined with antibiotic exposure, produce detectable changes that indicate susceptibility without requiring the bacteria to multiply, thus substituting a fast physiological response for a slow growth-based assay.
3Measurement precision
If current diagnostic methods are used, then antibiotic susceptibility can be determined, but costs increase and hospital stays are prolonged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by using the bacteria's own stress response mechanisms as the detection signal. The immobilized bacteria, when exposed to stressors and antibiotics, naturally exhibit metabolic changes and physiological responses that can be directly detected. This eliminates the need for complex external detection systems, expensive reagents, or prolonged incubation infrastructure. The bacteria essentially serve themselves as both the test subject and the signal source, reducing the need for costly external detection mechanisms and extended hospital resource utilization.
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 rapid and accurate determination of antibiotic susceptibility within minutes, facilitating timely and targeted antibiotic therapy, reducing treatment delays and costs associated with prolonged hospital stays and antibiotic resistance.
Implementation Method 1
The fluorescent dye detects (e.g., stains) gram negative and/or gram positive bacteria... the detecting step comprises detecting fluorescence emission from a fluorescent dye
Implementation Method 2
the application of shear stress (and/or chemical stress) to bacteria in the presence of an antibiotic permits one to determine the sensitivity (or resistance) of a bacterium to the antibiotic without requiring a cell growth phase
Implementation Method 3
immobilizing bacteria to a solid support
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein is a method and a device for expediting delivery of an agent to a damaged bacterial cell. In one embodiment, the methods and devices are useful for screening candidate antibiotics. In another embodiment, the methods and devices described herein are used to determine susceptibility of bacteria to an antibiotic. The methods also provide a method for determining an appropriate antibiotic to treat an individual having a bacterial infection.