Rapid Reagent-Free Detection of COVID-19 in Exhaled Breath Condensate using Ultra-Sensitive Multi-wavelength SERS Nano-gratings

作为过去二十年中有记录的第三次出现动物传人冠状病毒(2002年出现严重急性呼吸综合征，2012年出现中东呼吸综合征)，当前的大流行和几乎可以肯定的未来流行需要加强监测和积极主动的筛查。2019年新型冠状病毒病(新冠肺炎)的最终治疗方法可能至少需要一年时间。目前使用实时逆转录聚合酶链式反应(RRT-PCR)进行的标准医疗诊断检测耗费资源、成本高且不准确。迫切需要一种替代的、高灵敏度的、快速的和无标记的技术来在检测点检测和区分分子结构，包括病毒株。 自2014年以来，多伦多大学(UofT)Kherani教授的团队一直在开发一种新型的纳米光子传感(NPS)平台，以前所未有的灵敏度检测疾病生物标记物。这一专利技术平台将被重新用于开发一种高灵敏度、快速、近瞬时、无试剂的护理点检测(PoCT)系统，用于严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2(SARS-CoV-2)。我们(工程、医药和工业)合作建议展示使用超灵敏多波长SERS纳米光栅技术快速检测呼气冷凝液及相关样品中新冠肺炎的可行性，并进一步将该技术转化为在一系列公共和健康环境中广泛使用的技术。EBC分析仪的部署将改进新冠肺炎遏制协议，促进医院、疗养院和广大社区(学校、办公室、工厂和交通枢纽)的快速阳性病例识别，并将为未来的疾病监测奠定基础。

As the third documented emergence of an animal-to-human coronavirus during the past two decades (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in 2002, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in 2012), the current pandemic and near-certainty of future epidemics demands intensified surveillance and proactive screening. Definitive therapy for novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is likely at least a year away. Current standard-of-care diagnostic testing with real-time Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (rRT-PCR) is resource intensive, costly and inaccurate. An alternative, high sensitivity, rapid and label-free technique for detecting and differentiating molecular structures, including viral strains, at the point-of-testing is urgently needed. Since 2014, Professor Kherani's team at the University of Toronto (UofT) has been developing a novel nanophotonic sensing (NPS) platform to detect disease biomarkers with unprecedented sensitivity. This patented technology platform will be repurposed to develop a high sensitivity, rapid near-instantaneous, reagent-free point-of-care testing (PoCT) system for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We (engineering, medicine, and industry) collaboratively propose to demonstrate the viability of rapid reagent-free detection of COVID-19 in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) and allied samples using ultra-sensitive multi-wavelength SERS nano-gratings technology, and further, translate this technology for widespread use in a range of public and health settings. Deployment of the EBC Analyzer will improve COVID-19 containment protocols, facilitating rapid positive-case identification in hospitals, nursing homes and the community at large (schools, offices, factories and transportation hubs) and will allow for future disease surveillance.