Substance detection device and method

• US 9,625,410 B1
• Filed: 09/17/2010
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• 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 YU
• Application Number:
  US12/885,413
• Time in Patent Office: 2,405 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 for organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0057 for warfare agents or explosives properties of explosives G01N33/227
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/227 Explosives, e.g. combustive properties thereof detecting explosives in air G01N33/0057
• 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 device for detecting a substance in a medium, the device comprising an electrogenic bacterium that is genetically modified by genetic engineering or adaptive evolution to selectively interact with the substance to produce electrons wherein a portion of the electrons provides power to the device and wherein a portion of the electrons generates a signal as an indication of the presence of the substance in the medium,

wherein the substance is an analyte or is produced as a result of the presence of the analyte in the medium, the substance being reactive with a substance precursor, the analyte acting to cleave the substance precursor to release the substance.

2. The device for detecting a substance in a medium of claim 1, the device further comprising:

(a) a first electrode comprising the electrogenic bacterium;

(b) a second electrode that is an electron acceptor of the portion of the electrons to provide power to the device received from the first electrode; and

(c) a signal generator that receives from the first electrode the portion of the electrons to generate the signal,

wherein the device is confined in a housing that provides an environmental barrier.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the signal generator comprises an electronic circuit to transfer electrons from the first electrode to the second electrode to generate the signal and to power the device.

4. The device according to claim 2, further comprising a separator disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, the separator being a proton conducting membrane.

5. The device according to claim 2, wherein first electrode comprises a substrate and the electrogenic bacterium is a coating on a surface of the substrate.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the electrogenic bacterium is from the family Geobacter or the family Shewanella or the family Enterobacter or the family Desulfovibrio.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the electrogenic bacterium is selectively reactive with the substance 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.

8. A device for detecting an analyte in a medium, the device comprising:

(a) a first electrode comprising an electrogenic bacterium wherein the electrogenic bacterium is 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, the substance being reactive with a substance precursor, the analyte acting to cleave the substance precursor to release the substance;

(b) a second electrode that is an electron acceptor of electrons produced at the first electrode wherein electrons are received from the first electrode to provide power to the device; and

(c) a signal generator that produces a signal from the electrons.

9. The device according to claim 8 confined in a housing that provides an environmental barrier.

10. An apparatus comprising a housing and one or more devices according to claim 8.

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

12. The device according to claim 8 wherein the electrogenic bacterium is selectively reactive with the substance 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.

13. The device according to claim 8 wherein the signal generator comprises an electronic circuit.

14. The device according to claim 13 wherein the electronic circuit transfers electrons from the first electrode to the second electrode to generate the signal and to power the device.

15. The device according to claim 8 further comprising a separator disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode.

16. The device according to claim 8 wherein the separator is a proton conducting membrane.

17. The device according to claim 8 wherein first electrode comprises a substrate and the electrogenic bacterium is a coating on a surface of the substrate.

18. An apparatus comprising a housing and a plurality of devices to detect an analyte in a medium, a device of the plurality comprising:

(a) a first electrode comprising an electrogenic bacterium wherein the electrogenic bacterium is 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, the substance being reactive with a substance precursor, the analyte acting to cleave the substance precursor to release the substance;

(b) a second electrode that is an electron acceptor of electrons produced at the first electrode wherein electrons are received from the first electrode to provide power to the device;

(c) an electronic circuit to transfer electrons from the first electrode to the second electrode to generate a signal and to power the device from the electrons, and

(d) a separator disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode,

wherein the plurality of devices is confined to the housing, the housing to provide the plurality of devices an environmental barrier.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18 wherein the separator is a proton conducting membrane.

20. The apparatus according to claim 18 wherein the electrogenic bacterium of the device is selectively reactive with the substance 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.