Substance detection device and method

• US 10,267,779 B1
• Filed: 03/05/2017
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.)
• Original Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.)
• Inventors: Hicks-Garner, Jocelyn, Gross, Adam F., Salguero, Tina T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Melanie
• Application Number:
  US15/449,995
• Time in Patent Office: 779 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/001 Enzyme electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/004 mediator-assisted
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/02 involving viable microorganisms
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2333/195 from bacteria
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/327 Biochemical electrodes , e.g. electrical or mechanical details for in vitro measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/3273 Devices therefor, e.g. test element readers, circuitry details not specific to biochemical electrodes G01N33/4875
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/414 Ion-sensitive or chemical field-effect transistors, i.e. ISFETS or CHEMFETS
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/4141 specially adapted for gases
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0047 Organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0057 Warfare agents or explosives
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/227 Explosives, e.g. combustive properties thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/536 with immune complex formed in liquid phase
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/6803 General methods of protein analysis not limited to specific proteins or families of proteins
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/94 involving narcotics or drugs or pharmaceuticals, neurotransmitters or associated receptors

Abstract

Devices and methods are employed to detect substances in a medium. The device comprises an electrogenic bacterium that selectively interacts with a substance to produce electrons. A portion of the electrons provides power to the device and a portion of the electrons generates a signal as an indication of the presence of a substance in the medium. The method comprises contacting the electrogenic bacterium of the device with a medium suspected of containing the substance and measuring the signal generated by the electrons.

Claims

1. A method of detecting an analyte in a medium, the method comprising:

(a) contacting the medium with an analyte detection device, the analyte detection device comprising;

a first electrode that contacts with the medium, the first electrode comprising an electrogenic bacterium genetically modified to be selectively reactive with a substance to generate electrons, and wherein the substance is the analyte or is produced as a result of the presence of the analyte in the medium;

a second electrode that is an electron acceptor of electrons generated at the first electrode, wherein electrons are received from the first electrode to provide power to the analyte detection device; and

a signal generator that produces a signal from the electrons;

(b) measuring the amount of signal from the signal generator; and

(c) relating the amount of signal to one or both of the presence and the amount of the analyte in the medium,

wherein the analyte acts to cleave a substance precursor in the medium to release the substance.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the signal produced is an RF signal, a colorimetric signal, or a chemical signal.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the signal generator comprises an electronic circuit, the electronic circuit transferring electrons from the first electrode to the second electrode to produce the signal and to power the analyte detection device.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the analyte is reactive with the substance precursor to produce the substance.

5. A method of detecting an analyte in a medium, the method comprising:

(a) contacting the medium with an electrogenic bacterium that selectively interacts with the analyte or a substance produced as a result of the presence of the analyte in the medium to produce electrons wherein a portion of the electrons provide power and wherein a portion of the electrons generate a signal as an indication of the presence of the substance in the medium; and

(b) measuring the signal,

wherein the analyte acts to cleave a substance precursor in the medium to release the substance.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the medium is a liquid medium or a gaseous medium.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the analyte is reactive with the substance precursor in the medium to produce the substance.

8. The method according to claim 5 wherein the electrogenic bacterium is from the family Geobacter or the family Shewanella or the family Enterobacter or the family Desulfovibrio.

9. The method according to claim 5 wherein the analyte or the substance is selected from the group consisting of volatile organic compounds, semi-volatile organic compounds, proteins, polysaccharides, medications, drugs of abuse, pollutants, toxins, forensic substances, explosive residues and acid vapors.

10. The method according to claim 5 wherein the analyte is reactive with the substance precursor to produce the substance.

11. The method according to claim 5 wherein the signal produced is an RF signal, a colorimetric signal, or a chemical signal.

12. The method according to claim 5 wherein the electrogenic bacterium is genetically modified by genetic engineering or adaptive evolution to selectively interact with the analyte or the substance.