I-Corps: Ultra-Fast COVID-19 Sensor

这个I-Corps项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力包括在COVID-19大流行前线部署诊断传感器，如医院、临床实验室、授权免下车实验室、机场以及超市、学校和大学等公共场所、工作场所。 该传感器将用于超快速（不到1分钟）无创筛查样本，以确保安全性。最终目标是一种基于家庭的测试，最大限度地减少病毒对临床技术人员和测试地点的其他人的接触和传播。这种检测能力将识别和隔离病毒携带者，从而控制病毒的传播。这项技术是及时应对COVID-19;然而，它可以扩展到检测其他细菌和病毒，并显示出检测艾滋病毒的前景。传感器的多功能性将被调查。一般来说，这项创新可以通过快速监测个人的状况而不会引起不适，从而确保人口的医疗保健。这个I-Corps项目专注于COVID-19诊断的新技术。超快速COVID-19（UFC-19）检测传感器是一种快速、便携、小型仪器，可直接使用唾液（不需要特殊的拭子或采集设备）进行COVID-19诊断，能够在不到1秒的时间内感知样本中是否存在SARS-CoV-2病毒。 便携性和结果的速度使该传感器成为一种潜在的重要诊断工具，用于快速初始筛选样品和连续监测个体。UFC-19技术基于SARS-CoV-2病毒中存在的蛋白质在电极/电解质界面处的电子转移反应。这一创新通过利用来自电化学工程、病毒学和生理学等多学科的贡献，推进了目前对用于床旁应用的电化学传感器的理解。通过这个I-Corps计划，该团队打算了解拟议的市场，为传感器的商业化铺平道路。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project include the deployment of a diagnostic sensor at the COVID-19 pandemic frontlines such as hospitals, clinical laboratories, authorized drive-in labs, airports, and public spaces like supermarkets, schools, and universities, work spaces. The sensor will be used for ultra-fast (less than 1 minute) non-invasive screening of samples to ensure safety. The ultimate goal is a home-based test that minimizes the exposure and transmission of virus to clinical technicians and others at testing locations. This testing ability will identify and isolate carriers of the virus and thereby control the spread of virus. This technology is timely to counter COVID-19; However, it can be extended towards detecting other bacteria and viruses and has shown promise for detecting HIV as well. The versatility of the sensor will be investigated. In general, the innovation may lead to ensuring the healthcare of the population by monitoring the condition of individuals rapidly without causing discomfort. This I-Corps project focuses on a new technology for COVID-19 diagnosis. The ultra-fast COVID-19 (UFC-19) detection sensor is a fast, portable, small size instrument that operates directly with saliva (it does not require special swabs or collection devices) for COVID-19 diagnosis with the ability to sense the presence/absence of the virus SARS-CoV-2 in a sample in less than 1 second. The portability and the speed of results makes this sensor a potentially important diagnostic tool for fast initial screening of samples and continuous monitoring of an individual. The UFC-19 technology is based on the electron transfer reaction between the proteins present in the SARS-CoV-2 virus at the electrode/electrolyte interface. This innovation advances the current understanding of electrochemical sensors for point-of-care applications by utilizing multidisciplinary contributions from electrochemical engineering, virology, and physiology, among others. Through this I-Corps program, the team intends to learn about the proposed market to pave the path for commercializing the sensor.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.