Point-of-Care Swab Testing With Isothermal RNA Amplification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional diagnostic testing for viruses poses risks to healthcare workers and the public, and there is a need for rapid, reliable, and accessible at-home testing solutions that can reduce the burden on healthcare systems and supply chains during pandemics.
Innovation Solution
A point-of-care device for pathogen testing that includes a chamber for swab sample collection, buffer and probe delivery systems, and a portable electronic reader for rapid result output, enabling self-testing with a smartphone, and a process for wastewater analysis to determine infection risk using viral load information and location data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple separate tests are performed for different pathogens, then comprehensive pathogen detection is achieved, but testing time and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple pathogen detection tests into a single multiplex assay that simultaneously detects multiple pathogens using a common set of reagents and processing steps, thereby reducing overall testing time while maintaining comprehensive detection capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal testing system that can detect multiple different pathogens using the same basic reagent formulation and procedural framework, allowing one test platform to serve multiple detection functions simultaneously
2Reliability
If pathogen testing is performed on food products, then food safety is improved, but the testing process becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the complex food matrix into manageable components through selective extraction and purification steps, isolating pathogen-specific targets while removing interfering food substances, thereby simplifying subsequent detection processes
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary reagents and processing steps that facilitate the interaction between food samples and detection systems, acting as mediators to bridge the complex food matrix and the pathogen detection assay
3Measurement precision
If extensive processing steps are used in pathogen testing, then detection accuracy is improved, but processing time and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary preparation of reagents and samples in advance, pre-configuring detection components and pre-processing samples to reduce the number of steps required during actual testing, thereby maintaining accuracy while simplifying operation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes critical parameters such as reagent concentrations, incubation times, and temperature conditions to achieve high detection accuracy with minimized processing steps, finding optimal balances between precision and operational efficiency
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, safe, and accessible pathogen testing at home, reducing transmission risks and healthcare system burden, while providing real-time surveillance and risk assessment through smartphone-readable results and wastewater-based epidemiology.
Implementation Method 1
In a further aspect, this disclosure provides a buffer solution for use in a nucleic acid amplification or detection method or system. The buffer solution may include one or more buffering agents, one or more salts, and one or more stabilizing agents.
Data Source
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AI summary
A point of care device, comprises a chamber configured to contain a swab. Once a swab is loaded, the device introduces a buffer into the chamber, then lyses cells collected by the swab. Probes such as padlock probes target a specified content such as a virus (e.g., SARS-CoV-2 RNA) and will bind, splint ligate, and rapidly isothermally amplify (e.g., using rolling circle amplification). Also described is a wastewater pathogen tracking dashboard and schema for detecting and tracking pathogen spread within communities by monitoring microbial and viral RNA.