Portable System for Rapid Detection of Toxins

描述（由申请人提供）：拟议努力的目标是开发一种生物传感器，用于快速、现场测量化学环境污染物。创新的关键是使用光栅耦合表面等离子体共振（GCSPR）转导结合微阵列换能器芯片和成像CCD检测器，以实现一个系统，能够高度多路复用检测许多分析物的高灵敏度在一个小的便携式，坚固耐用，低成本的包适合于现场使用的最低限度的培训人员。所提出的设备将解决目前用于现场环境分析的技术的两个最重要的缺点;即，当前系统对检测单个分析物或单个类别的密切相关的化合物的限制，以及现场测定的有限的灵敏度和准确性。此外，我们预计，所提出的系统将大大提高这些测定可以在现场进行的容易性和速度。第一阶段的努力的目标是建立一个实验板原型的GCSPR成像系统，以评估其可行性的多重检测，并证明该系统的操作与原型分析使用多环芳烃（PAH）作为分析物模型系统。潜在的应用包括环境测试，临床诊断，国土防御应用和生命科学研究市场。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of the proposed effort is to develop a biosensor for rapid, on-site measurement of chemical environmental contaminants. The crux of the innovation is to use grating-coupled surface plasmon resonance (GCSPR) transduction in conjunction with a microarray transducer chip and an imaging CCD detector to implement a system capable of highly multiplexed detection of many analytes with high sensitivity in a small portable, rugged, low-cost package suitable for field use by minimally trained personnel. The proposed device will solve two of the most important shortcomings of present technology for field environmental analysis; namely, the limitation of current systems to the detection of a single analyte or a single class of closely related compounds, and the limited sensitivity and accuracy of field assays. In addition, we expect that the proposed system will materially increase the ease and speed with which these assays can be performed in the field. The objectives of the Phase I effort are to build a breadboard prototype of a GCSPR imaging system to assess its feasibility for multiplexed detection, and to demonstrate the operation of the system with a prototype assay using polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) as an analyte model system. Potential applications include environmental testing, clinical diagnostics, homeland defense applications and the life sciences research market.