STTR Phase I: Microelectrochemical Detection for Multiple Allergens

这个小型企业技术转移(STTR)第一阶段项目将开发一种独立的微电化学分析阵列，用于同时定量检测粉尘中的过敏原，如尘螨、猫皮屑和蟑螂过敏原。过敏会导致疾病和残疾，影响着5000多万美国人。避免或减少环境中的过敏原暴露是治疗的第一步。未来的目标将是生产一种自动化、灵敏、台式、低成本的仪器，由非熟练人员操作，目标是医生办公室。该产品将满足非定量试纸和基于实验室的酶联免疫吸附分析(ELISA)之间的需求。独立的微电化学检测允许超小容量的分析，与ELISA相比，响应时间和灵敏度都有所提高。患者在家中或单位提供的吸尘样本(S)中的多种过敏原将在医生办公室进行量化，以帮助设计治疗方案和改善生活环境，以管理过敏性疾病。从商业角度来看，这项技术未来的市场潜力可能相当大，这是基于有多少住户患有哮喘或过敏症。从重度哮喘到中度哮喘，5%的变化将为美国每年节省约14亿美元的总成本。在每年因哮喘导致1400多万天旷课和工作的学校和工作场所，生产力也将得到恢复。定期监测室内粉尘中的过敏原的能力也将有助于更好地了解接触它们的临床显着数量和程度。这项技术的其他应用包括分析空气样本，这些样本含有现有方法无法检测到的低水平过敏原。这包括来自尘螨和蟑螂的过敏原，这些过敏原来自未受干扰的房间的空气样本。该技术的低检测限在分析这些类型的样品时可能被证明是非常有用的。

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project will develop a self-contained microelectrochemical assay array for simultaneous and quantitative detection of allergens in dust such as dust mites, cat dander, and cockroach allergens. Allergies cause illness and disabilities that affect over 50 million Americans. Avoidance or reduction of environmental exposure to allergens is the first step in treatment. The future goal will be to produce an automated, sensitive, bench top, low-cost instrument, run by unskilled personnel, aimed at the physicians office. The product will fill a need between non-quantitative test strips and laboratory-based enzyme-linked immunosorbant assays (ELISAs). Self-contained, microelectrochemical detection allows analysis in ultra-small volumes with enhanced response times and sensitivity compared to ELISA. Multiple allergens in a vacuumed dust sample(s) from home or work provided by the patient would be quantified at the physicians office to assist in designing treatments and in making living environment modifications to manage allergy disease. Commercially, the technologys future market potential could be quite large, based on the number of homes that have occupants that suffer from asthma or allergies. A 5% change from severe to moderate asthma would save the U.S. about $1.4 billion a year in total costs. Productivity would also be regained at school and work where asthma contributes to more than 14 million missed school and work days annually. The ability to monitor indoor allergens in dust in a regular fashion would also lead to better understanding of clinically significant amounts and extent of exposure to them. Other applications of the technology include analysis of air samples that have low levels of allergens that cannot be detected by existing methods. This includes allergens from dust mites and cockroaches from air sampling in undisturbed rooms. The low detection limit of the technology may prove highly useful in analyzing these types of samples.