NSF Convergence Accelerator Track L: Smartphone Time-Resolved Luminescence Imaging and Detection (STRIDE) for Point-of-Care Diagnostics

即时护理（POC）传感器是一种强大的现场工具，可以及早快速诊断传染病以防止迅速传播，实时检测食物链中的食源性病原体以确保食品质量并减少食物浪费，区分细胞/组织水平中的微量生物标志物以指导医生早期治疗等。随着人工智能（AI）和移动设备（如智能手机）在POC传感器开发中的应用，具有先进AI的移动设备辅助POC传感器正迅速成为开发具有改进分析性能的POC传感器的有吸引力的方法。为了克服目前可用的POC传感器遇到的挑战，提议团队最近开发了锰掺杂半导体纳米晶体，可以实现高灵敏度的时间分辨发光测量，这是一种非常理想的传感器特性。该项目的目标是利用这些纳米晶体和人工智能实现的智能手机时间分辨发光成像和检测（STRIDE）建立POC平台技术，展示其在各种生物检测中的通用适用性，并进一步将该技术转化为开发节能，小型化和便携式生化传感应用。该项目将产生多种关键知识产权，以及一支多样化、训练有素、具有全球竞争力的POC技术劳动力队伍。知识产权和劳动力都将促进经济增长，创造新的就业机会，并有助于美国在POC诊断技术方面的领导地位。提出的工作目标是建立一个可销售的POC平台技术，使用智能手机时间分辨发光成像和检测（STRIDE），由mn掺杂纳米晶体（nc）和人工智能实现。通过与学术界、国家实验室、私营部门和商业中心的合作，项目团队寻求(1)进一步了解mn掺杂nc的光物理学并增强其光学特性；(2)构建便携式、基于智能手机、人工智能辅助的低成本、高灵敏度的时间分辨发光测量（TRLM）仪器；(3)建立POC平台技术，将基于智能手机和人工智能辅助的新型TRLM仪器与专门用于感染性病原体检测、食品质量分析和癌症诊断的mn掺杂nc相结合；(4)制定综合教育和劳动力发展计划；(5)建立与学术界/工业界的广泛联系，推动团队的新技术进行科学合作和商业化。该项目将通过使用高度便携、易于使用、低成本的诊断工具彻底改变POC护理，从而改善卫生公平性。这些工具可提供快速结果，改善获取途径，并促进传染病、食源性病原体和癌症生物标志物的早期发现。通过该项目培训的劳动力将为尖端技术的多元化，具有全球竞争力的劳动力做出贡献，该项目的教育推广将促进STEM教育的多样性，公平性和包容性。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，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。

Point-of-care (POC) sensors are powerful in-field tools to quickly diagnose infectious disease early enough to prevent rapid spread, detect foodborne pathogens in food-chains in real-time to ensure food quality and reduce food waste, distinguish trace biomarkers in cellular/tissue levels to alter physicians for early treatment, etc. With the applications of artificial intelligence (AI) and mobile devices (e.g., smartphones) in POC sensor development, mobile-device-assisted POC sensors with advanced AI are rapidly emerging as an attractive approach to developing POC sensors with improved analytical performance. To overcome challenges encountered by currently available POC sensors, the proposing team recently developed manganese-doped semiconductor nanocrystals can enable time-resolved luminescence measurement that achieves high sensitivity, a highly desirable sensor property. The goal of this project is to establish a POC platform technology using Smartphone Time-Resolved Luminescence Imaging and Detection (STRIDE) enabled by these nanocrystals and AI, demonstrate its versatile applicability in various bio-detections, and further translate this technology to develop energy-efficient, miniaturized, and portable biochemical sensing applications. The project will generate multiple key intellectual properties as well as a diverse, well-trained, and globally competent workforce in POC technology. Both intellectual properties and workforce will facilitate economic growth, create new employment opportunities, and contribute to US leadership in POC diagnostic technologies.The goal of the proposed work is to establish a marketable POC platform technology using Smartphone Time-Resolved Luminescence Imaging and Detection (STRIDE) enabled by Mn-doped nanocrystals (NCs) and AI. Through the collaboration with academia, a national lab, private sectors, and business centers, the project team seeks to (1) further understand the photophysics of Mn-doped NCs and enhance their optical properties; (2) build a portable, smartphone-based, and AI-assisted time-resolved luminescence measurement (TRLM) instrument with low cost and high sensitivity; (3) establish a POC platform technology that integrates the new smartphone-based and AI-assisted TRLM instrument with Mn-doped NCs specifically for infectious pathogen detection, food quality analysis, and cancer diagnosis; (4) develop an integrated education and workforce development plan; and (5) initiate broad connections with academia/industries to advance the team’s novel technology for scientific collaboration and commercialization. The project will improve health equity by revolutionizing POC care with highly portable, easy to use, low cost diagnostic tools that provide rapid results, improve access, and promote early detection of infectious diseases, foodborne pathogens, and cancer biomarkers. The workforce trained through this project will contribute to a diverse, globally competent workforce in cutting-edge technologies, and the educational outreach of this project will promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM education.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.