Low Cost, High Throughput Western Blot Antibody Detection Device for Those Already Infected with COVID-19

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There is an unmet need for COVID-19 antibody testing for those already infected with SARS-CoV-2. This can be accomplished using serological Western Blot assays in a lab setting by detecting antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in blood samples. The antibodies bind to antigen proteins and are visualised using chemiluminescent reagents. This test can show whether your immune system has fought-off SARS-CoV-2, even months previously. Western Blot assays have been used for many years to test for Hepatitis B and other viral diseases. Unlike home test kits, they offer excellent sensitivity and specificity (no false positives) approaching 99.99%. The test can be multiplexed with multiple samples run in parallel. The imaging takes approximately 20 minutes to run plus some preparation time. The test uses different reagents from the rtPCR testing widely used today for antigen testing, which are in short supply.The test will help scientists fight the pandemic by giving researchers a more accurate measure of how many people have had the COVID-19. Existing Western Blot instruments are expensive and have poor sensitivity, because they use either scanning line sensors or lens-coupled CCDs. Our instrument will enable accurate laboratory antibody testing to be ramped up inexpensively. Our project will use unique, large-area CMOS image sensors coupled to fibre optic faceplates already used in surgical X-ray systems for 1:1 imaging without a lens or scanning. This allows our bench-top instrument to capture much more of the light measured in the assay, making it more sensitive. Because the sensors are already in mass production, the new instrument will be far cheaper than existing instruments (about 15% of the cost). Sensors can be rapidly mass produced using the existing supply chain.This will be the first product of its type using 1:1 imaging with a large-area image sensor. It will be applicable to other Western Blot, Dot Blot and 96-well plate ELISA applications including COVID-19 antigen testing, life science research, veterinary medicine and food safety.