Biofilm Activity Analyser for Healthcare Applications

在这项可行性研究中，Warwick将开展工作，以开发一种生物相容性的基于金刚石的生物膜活性分析仪，该分析仪能够放置在与牙科单元水系统（DUWS）的水线和透析机的内部管道相关的小型非一次性塑料管中。生物膜的形成是一个巨大的问题，如果不加以控制，可能会导致潜在的危及生命的细菌感染，尤其是对那些已经患病的人来说。该传感器将被设计用于基于电化学原理连续监测生物膜的生长。沃里克大学进行的研究的最初部分将是设计一种合适的传感器几何形状，它既要足够小，可以装入相关的管道，又要具有检测和监测传感器表面生物膜积聚的灵敏度。额外的功能，如传感器的自我清洁能力，也将被内置。利用华威大学精通金刚石材料加工工艺的人员，反向电极结构将被激光加工成绝缘金刚石片。然后，钻石将被送往沃里克进行导电金刚石过度生长，然后被送回沃里克进行高度专业化的抛光，以生产共面绝缘导电金刚石结构（传感器）。然后，传感器将被电连接，并在沃里克建造测试平台，以复制DUWS和透析装置的水/透析环境。将持续监测传感器的性能（就输出电流而言），并定期评估传感器，以确定生物膜在表面积聚的程度。同时还将测量水中的微生物含量。这是为了将生物膜的形成程度与菌落形成单位的数量联系起来，这样就可以对传感器进行编程，以便在生物膜活性上升到“安全”水平以上时通知用户。

In this feasibility study, work will be carried out by Warwick in order to develop a biocompatible diamond based biofilm activity analyser, which is capable of placement within the small, non-disposable plastic tubing associated with the waterlines of dental unit water systems (DUWS's) and internal tubing of dialysis machines. Biofilm build-up is a huge problem as if left unchecked can led to potential life-threatening bacterial infections in the patient, particularly problematic with those already suffering from illness. The sensor will be designed to monitor biofilm growth continuously, based on electrochemical principles. The initial part of the research undertaken at Warwick will be to design an appropriate sensor geometry which is both small enough to fit into the associated tubing but also has the sensitivity to detect and monitor biofilm build-up on the sensor surface. Additional capabilities, such as the ability of the sensor to clean itself, will also be built in. Using personnel at Warwick, skilled in the art of processing diamond materials, inverse electrode structures will be laser machined into sheets of insulating diamond. The diamond will then be sent for conducting diamond overgrowth, and then be returned to Warwick for highly specialised polishing to produce co-planar insulating-conducting diamond structures (the sensor). The sensor will then be electrically contacted and test rigs at Warwick built which replicate the water /dialysate environments of DUWS's and dialysis units. The sensor(s) performance (in terms of an output current) will be monitored continuously and the sensor periodically assessed to ascertain the extent of biofilm build-up on the surface. Simultaneous measurements of microbial content in the water will also be taken. This is in order to relate extent of biofilm build up to numbers of colony forming units, such that it is possible to programme the sensor to notify the user when biofilm activity has risen above a "safe" level.