METHOD FOR DETECTING PATHOGENS USING MICROBEADS CONJUGATED TO BIORECOGNITION MOLECULES
First Claim
1. A method of detecting one or more pathogens, identifying one or more pathogens, characterizing one or more pathogens or characterizing a pathogen host, said method being for use with a clinical sample collected from a host that potentially contains one or more target molecules, said method comprising the steps of:
- a detection medium providing step of providing a detection medium containing pathogen-specific/host marker identification complexes for respective detection of pathogens and host markers, wherein said pathogen-specific/host marker identification complexes comprise microbeads conjugated to respective pathogen-specific/host marker biorecognition molecules (BRMs), and wherein each of said microbeads contains quantum dots, fluorescent dyes, or combinations thereof, such that each of said microbeads is adapted to emit one or more spectra as a first signal;
a detection complex forming step of combining said clinical sample with said detection medium and detection molecules, with both said pathogen-specific/host marker identification complexes and said detection molecules being adapted to bind with said target molecules if present in the clinical sample, to generate detection complexes, wherein each of said detection molecules is further adapted to emit one or more spectra as a second signal;
a spectral reference database providing step of providing a spectral reference database of pathogen-specific/host marker reference spectra;
an analysis step of;
(i) flowing said detection complexes, under influence of flow forces, through a microfluidic channel and a laser beam, such that resulting spectral signals are emitted from different types of said detection complexes, with said resulting spectral signals comprising said first signal, said second signal, or a combination thereof; and
(ii) analyzing said resulting spectral signals with a detection element in a handheld diagnostic device by;
(a) detecting said resulting spectral signals;
(b) collecting and translating said resulting spectral signals, into a translated optical code for each of said different types of detection complexes, using solid state photodetectors of said detection element which are adapted to emit electrons in direct response to said resulting spectral signals; and
(c) matching each said translated optical code with a corresponding one of said pathogen-specific/host marker specific spectra in said spectral reference database to produce a list of pathogens contained within the clinical sample, and a list of pathogen/host characteristics.
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Abstract
A method and system are provided for the simultaneous detection and identification of multiple pathogens in a patient sample. The sample is combined with microbeads, which have been injected with quantum dots or fluorescent dye and conjugated to pathogen-specific biorecognition molecules, such as antibodies and oligonucleotides. Treatment options may be determined based on the identities of the pathogens detected in the sample.
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Citations
47 Claims
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1. A method of detecting one or more pathogens, identifying one or more pathogens, characterizing one or more pathogens or characterizing a pathogen host, said method being for use with a clinical sample collected from a host that potentially contains one or more target molecules, said method comprising the steps of:
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a detection medium providing step of providing a detection medium containing pathogen-specific/host marker identification complexes for respective detection of pathogens and host markers, wherein said pathogen-specific/host marker identification complexes comprise microbeads conjugated to respective pathogen-specific/host marker biorecognition molecules (BRMs), and wherein each of said microbeads contains quantum dots, fluorescent dyes, or combinations thereof, such that each of said microbeads is adapted to emit one or more spectra as a first signal; a detection complex forming step of combining said clinical sample with said detection medium and detection molecules, with both said pathogen-specific/host marker identification complexes and said detection molecules being adapted to bind with said target molecules if present in the clinical sample, to generate detection complexes, wherein each of said detection molecules is further adapted to emit one or more spectra as a second signal; a spectral reference database providing step of providing a spectral reference database of pathogen-specific/host marker reference spectra; an analysis step of;
(i) flowing said detection complexes, under influence of flow forces, through a microfluidic channel and a laser beam, such that resulting spectral signals are emitted from different types of said detection complexes, with said resulting spectral signals comprising said first signal, said second signal, or a combination thereof; and
(ii) analyzing said resulting spectral signals with a detection element in a handheld diagnostic device by;
(a) detecting said resulting spectral signals;
(b) collecting and translating said resulting spectral signals, into a translated optical code for each of said different types of detection complexes, using solid state photodetectors of said detection element which are adapted to emit electrons in direct response to said resulting spectral signals; and
(c) matching each said translated optical code with a corresponding one of said pathogen-specific/host marker specific spectra in said spectral reference database to produce a list of pathogens contained within the clinical sample, and a list of pathogen/host characteristics. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A system for detecting pathogens, identifying pathogens, characterizing pathogens or characterizing pathogen hosts, said system being for use with a clinical sample collected from a host that potentially contains one or more target molecules, and being for use with detection molecules adapted to bind with said target molecules if present in the clinical sample and emit one or more spectra as a second signal, said system comprising:
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a) a detection medium containing pathogen-specific/host marker identification complexes for respective detection of pathogens and host markers, wherein said pathogen-specific/host marker identification complexes comprise microbeads conjugated to respective pathogen-specific/host marker biorecognition molecules (BRMs), and wherein each of said microbeads contains quantum dots, fluorescent dyes, or combinations thereof, such that each of said microbeads is adapted to emit one or more spectra as a first signal, with said detection medium operative to be combined with the clinical sample and with said detection molecules, with said pathogen-specific/host marker identification complexes adapted to bind with said target molecules if present in the clinical sample, such that said pathogen-specific/host marker identification complexes, said detection molecules, and said target molecules form detection complexes; b) a handheld diagnostic device, including; i) a microfluidic platform that is operative to drive the detection complexes, using flow forces, through a laser-illuminated region in a microfluidic channel, such that resulting spectral signals are emitted from different types of said detection complexes, with said resulting spectral signals including said first signal, said second signal, or a combination thereof; and ii) a detection element that is operative to detect said resulting spectral signals, and having solid state photodetectors adapted to collect and translate said resulting spectral signals, by emission of electrons in direct response to said resulting spectral signals, into a translated optical code for each of said different types of detection complexes; and c) a spectral reference database of pathogen-specific/host marker reference spectra operative to match each said translated optical code with a corresponding one of said pathogen-specific/host marker specific spectra in said spectral reference database to generate a list of pathogens contained within the clinical sample, and a list of pathogen/host characteristics. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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Specification