STTR Phase I: Microelectrochemical Detection for Multiple Allergens

这个小企业技术转让（STTR）第一阶段项目将开发一个独立的微电化学检测阵列，用于同时定量检测灰尘中的过敏原，如尘螨，猫皮屑和蟑螂过敏原。过敏症导致疾病和残疾，影响超过5000万美国人。避免或减少环境暴露于过敏原是治疗的第一步。未来的目标将是生产一种自动化的，灵敏的，台式的，低成本的仪器，由不熟练的人员操作，针对医生办公室。该产品将满足非定量试纸和基于实验室的酶联免疫吸附测定（ELISA）之间的需求。与ELISA相比，自包含的微电化学检测允许在超小体积中进行分析，具有增强的响应时间和灵敏度。由患者提供的来自家庭或工作场所的真空灰尘样本中的多种过敏原将在医生办公室进行量化，以帮助设计治疗方案和进行生活环境改造以管理过敏疾病。从商业上讲，这项技术未来的市场潜力可能相当大，这是基于有哮喘或过敏症患者的家庭数量。从重度哮喘到中度哮喘的5%变化将为美国每年节省约14亿美元的总成本。在学校和工作场所也将恢复生产力，哮喘每年造成超过1400万个缺课和工作日。定期监测灰尘中的室内过敏原的能力也将有助于更好地了解临床上重要的数量和暴露于它们的程度。该技术的其他应用包括分析现有方法无法检测到的低水平过敏原的空气样本。这包括来自尘螨和蟑螂的过敏原，来自未受干扰房间的空气采样。该技术的低检测限可能在分析这些类型的样品中非常有用。

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project will develop a self-contained microelectrochemical assay array for simultaneous and quantitative detection of allergens in dust such as dust mites, cat dander, and cockroach allergens. Allergies cause illness and disabilities that affect over 50 million Americans. Avoidance or reduction of environmental exposure to allergens is the first step in treatment. The future goal will be to produce an automated, sensitive, bench top, low-cost instrument, run by unskilled personnel, aimed at the physicians office. The product will fill a need between non-quantitative test strips and laboratory-based enzyme-linked immunosorbant assays (ELISAs). Self-contained, microelectrochemical detection allows analysis in ultra-small volumes with enhanced response times and sensitivity compared to ELISA. Multiple allergens in a vacuumed dust sample(s) from home or work provided by the patient would be quantified at the physicians office to assist in designing treatments and in making living environment modifications to manage allergy disease. Commercially, the technologys future market potential could be quite large, based on the number of homes that have occupants that suffer from asthma or allergies. A 5% change from severe to moderate asthma would save the U.S. about $1.4 billion a year in total costs. Productivity would also be regained at school and work where asthma contributes to more than 14 million missed school and work days annually. The ability to monitor indoor allergens in dust in a regular fashion would also lead to better understanding of clinically significant amounts and extent of exposure to them. Other applications of the technology include analysis of air samples that have low levels of allergens that cannot be detected by existing methods. This includes allergens from dust mites and cockroaches from air sampling in undisturbed rooms. The low detection limit of the technology may prove highly useful in analyzing these types of samples.