Photonic Device for the Detection of COVID-19 virus as a Point of Care Diagnostic Tool

拟议的研究旨在开发一种设备，以解决COVID-19大流行的最大挑战之一：早期，方便的检测。现有的用于检测SARS-CoV-2（导致COVID-19的病毒）的临床方法缺乏速度和灵敏度，最重要的是，目前无法作为床旁护理资源或在医院环境中用作床边设备。因此，找到一种解决方案，以增加灵敏度的临床监测生物传感技术是至关重要的。拟议的研究将开发一种便携式，具有成本效益的设备，不需要训练有素的实验室技术人员，将是一个理想的候选人，作为一个医疗诊断工具。 该设备的成功开发将使检测病毒成为可能，有助于早期诊断。该设备还能够识别血清中其他化学物质的存在，如蛋白质，这扩大了其最终临床应用的范围。 该项目将为一名研究生和一名博士后研究员提供跨学科应用研究培训，他们将获得开发光子学领域仪器的经验，从而提高加拿大在高技术研究领域的人力资源能力。此外，学生将接受激光物理（光子学），光谱分析和生物化学领域的跨学科培训。

The proposed research aims to develop a device that will address one of the biggest challenges of the COVID-19 Pandemic: early, convenient detection. Existing clinical methods for the detection of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, lack speed and sensitivity and, most importantly, currently can't be applied as a point of care (PoC) resource or used as a bedside device in a hospital setting. Thus, finding a solution to increase the sensitivity of clinical PoC biosensing technology is critical. The proposed research will develop a portable, cost-effective device, which will not need highly trained laboratory technicians and will be an ideal candidate for a PoC medical diagnostic tool. The successful development of the device will make it possible to detect viruses, assisting in early diagnosis. The device will also be capable of identifying the presence of other chemicals, such as proteins, in blood serum, which broadens the range of its eventual clinical uses. This project will provide interdisciplinary applied research training to one graduate student and one Post-Doctoral Fellow, who will gain experience in developing instruments in the area of photonics, thereby increasing Canada's human resource capacity in areas of highly technical research. Further, the student will receive interdisciplinary training in the areas of laser physics (photonics), spectroscopic analysis, and biochemistry.