I-Corps: Commercialization of electrochemical sensor technology for pathogen detection

目前正在努力开发传感器来监测伤口感染。绝大多数智能绷带的研究和开发都集中在基于一般特征的感染传感器上，如pH、温度和气体。虽然实现起来比较简单，但这些一般特征也会有很大的波动，并且可能会因为大量的因素而发生变化，从而导致不可靠的识别。目前监测伤口感染的标准依赖于患者或照顾者对感染发生时间的初步评估。这一决定是基于肉眼检查、伤口气味和其他患者症状，如发烧。当怀疑感染时，从伤口采集样本并将其送往中心设施进行分析。在集中式设施中，平板培养是病原体鉴定的金标准。这项技术很简单，但需要24小时或更长时间才能鉴定。这项提议旨在创造、测试和传播用于定量微生物学研究的电化学传感器技术。具体地说，这种方法将利用微型制造的电化学传感器来快速和选择性地检测细菌产生的分子。检测到的分子只由特定种类的细胞产生；因此，通过检测分子，可以确定样本中存在哪些细胞和多少个细胞。这项拟议的技术将允许护理人员远程监控他们的患者，并为他们提供更好的护理。在医院术后或烧伤病房，快速识别是客户的主要需求，因为伤口要进行常规监测，但当怀疑感染来识别病原体时，需要进行耗时的测试。在家中，患者必须自己确定他们是否有感染正在发展，或者等到家庭医护人员来探望他们。如果远程监控伤口，拟议的产品可能会减少家庭保健专业人员的就诊频率，从而减轻已经不堪重负和人手不足的系统的工作量。

There are ongoing efforts to develop sensors to monitor for wound infections. The vast majority of smart-bandage research and development is focused on infection sensors based on general characteristics, such as pH, temperature, and gases. While simpler to implement, these general characteristics also fluctuate significantly and can change due to a large number of factors, resulting in unreliable identification. The current standard to monitor for wound infections relies on an initial human assessment, either patient or caregiver, of when an infection is developing. The decision is based on visual inspection, smell of the wound, and other patient symptoms, such as fever. When an infection is suspected, samples are collected from the wound and sent to a central facility for analysis. At the centralized facility, plate culturing is the gold standard for pathogen identification. The technique is simple, but requires 24 hours or more for identification.This proposal aims to create, test, and disseminate electrochemical sensor technology for quantitative microbiological studies. Specifically, this approach will utilize micro-fabricated electrochemical sensors to rapidly and selectively detect molecules produced by bacteria. The detected molecules are uniquely produced by only certain species of cells; therefore, by detecting the molecules it is possible to determine which cells and how many of them are present in a sample. The proposed technology will allow caregivers to remotely monitor their patients and provide them with better care. In a hospital post-op or burn ward, rapid identification is the primary customer need, as wounds are monitored routinely, but require time-consuming tests when an infection is suspected to identify the pathogen. In the home, patients must determine on their own if they have an infection developing or wait until a home healthcare worker visits them. The proposed product could reduce the visit frequency for home healthcare professionals if the wounds are monitored remotely, decreasing the workload for an already overburdened and understaffed system.