Silica-Coated Polymeric Microparticles for Bioassay Stability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Encoded polymeric microparticles face challenges due to poor physical and chemical durability, leading to analysis errors and limited bioconjugation capabilities, necessitating the development of stable, functionalized microparticles that can be produced on a large scale.

Innovation Solution

The production of encoded polymeric microparticles with a silica shell surrounding a photocurable polymer core, utilizing a linker with alkoxysilyl groups and magnetic nanoparticles for enhanced stability and bioconjugation, allowing for diverse functional groups and multiplexed bioassays.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If encoded polymeric microparticles are used for bioassay detection, then simple fabrication and numerous coding capacities are achieved, but poor physical and chemical durability causes the microparticles to be easily damaged

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefabrication simplicityVSAvoidphysical and chemical durability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a composite microparticle system consisting of a polymeric microparticle core encapsulated within a silica shell. The polymeric core provides ease of fabrication and coding capacity, while the inorganic silica shell provides mechanical strength and chemical stability. This composite structure combines the advantages of both materials to resolve the contradiction between ease of manufacture and reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Adaptability or versatility

If encoded polymeric microparticles are used for detection, then numerous coding capacities are achieved, but analyte absorption occurs causing analysis errors

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecoding capacityVSAvoidanalysis accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a silica shell as a protective thin film surrounding the polymeric microparticle core. This shell acts as a physical barrier that prevents analytes from coming into direct contact with and being absorbed by the polymeric core material, thereby eliminating analysis errors while preserving the coding capacity of the microparticles.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

3Adaptability or versatility

If polymeric microparticles are bioconjugated with biomaterials, then detection functionality is achieved, but bioconjugations are limited to a few special chemical processes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebioconjugation capabilityVSAvoidchemical process limitation

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the silica shell the functional surface for bioconjugation, replacing the limited polymeric surface. The silica shell can be functionalized with various groups (aminopropyl, carboxyl, hydroxyl) that enable diverse bioconjugation chemistries including silane coupling, carbodiimide chemistry, and other standard protocols. This provides universal compatibility with multiple biomaterials and conjugation methods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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 silica-coated microparticles exhibit improved chemical and physical stability, preventing analyte absorption and enabling accurate multiplexed bioassays with enhanced binding properties and magnetic manipulation for high-throughput analysis.

Implementation Method 1

mixing a photocurable material with a linker having a functional group polymerizable with the photocurable material... applying patterned energy to cure the mixture

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhotopolymerization: Photopolymerisation

Implementation Method 2

treating the encoded polymeric microparticle cores with a silica precursor to form a silica shell on each encoded polymeric microparticle core

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHydrolysis: Hydrolysis

Implementation Method 3

treating the encoded polymeric microparticle cores with a silica precursor to form a silica shell

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCondensation: Condensation

Data Source

PatentUS10557846B2Encoded polymeric microparticles

Publication Date: 2020.02.11 QUANTA MATRIX INC

AI summary

Provided are encoded polymeric microparticles and a multiplexed bioassay using the encoded polymeric microparticles. Each of the encoded polymeric microparticles includes an encoded polymeric microparticle core and a silica shell surrounding the microparticle core. Further provided is a method for producing encoded polymeric microparticles. The method includes: mixing a photocurable material with a linker having a functional group polymerizable with the photocurable material and an alkoxysilyl group; applying patterned energy to cure the mixture, followed by encoding to obtain encoded polymeric microparticle cores; and treating the encoded polymeric microparticle cores with a silica precursor to form a silica shell on each encoded polymeric microparticle core.