AIR: Rapid Label-Free Single Virus Detection Platform for Multi-Pathogen Diagnostics

传染病病原体的快速检测和监测是医学和生物防御界尚未解决的挑战。由于在护理点缺乏快速和准确的诊断，导致对新开发的药物管理不善，使它们由于耐药病原体的出现而失效。PI建议开发一种原型仪器，该仪器不需要高技能的技术人员来进行POC设置。在开发功能齐全的现场可部署原型时将解决的问题包括：(1)照明均匀性的优化，(2)对样品的自动对焦，以及(3)设置的机械稳定性。拟议的仪器将与成熟的样品制备技术相结合，并在台式平台上进行评估。成功开发和推出拟议的原型将大大提高疾病诊断的速度，加快治疗选择，并最终以更低的成本为医疗保健系统提供更好的患者结果。拟议系统的简单性和易用性预示着在医疗点环境中使用该技术以及在发展中国家提供更好的医疗保健。在提议的工作中，利用经验丰富的企业家和高管的行业参与和指导将通过提供培养创业精神的环境和为有才华的工程师和科学家提供平行管道来提高本科和研究生的教育经验。高管指导计划与波士顿商界的紧密联系也通过启动新企业和创造就业机会，为该地区的经济发展做出了贡献。

Rapid detection and surveillance of infectious agents is an unsolved challenge in the medical and biodefense communities. The lack of rapid and accurate diagnostics at the point of care (POC) has led to mismanagement of the newly developed drugs rendering them ineffective through the emergence of drug resistant pathogens. The PI proposes the development of a prototype instrument that does not require highly skilled technicians for POC settings. Issues which will be addressed in the development of the functioning field-deployable prototype include: (1) optimization of the illumination uniformity, (2) auto-focusing onto the sample, and (3) mechanical stability of the setup. The proposed instrument will be integrated with proven sample preparation techniques and evaluated against the bench top platform.Successful development and launch of the proposed prototype will drastically improve the speed of disease diagnosis, expedite treatment options and ultimately produce better patient outcomes at a lower cost to the healthcare system. The simplicity and ease-of-use of the proposed system augurs well for the use of the technology in point-of-care settings and in providing improved healthcare in developing countries. In the proposed work, the industry participation and mentorship utilizing experienced entrepreneurs and executives will enhance the undergraduate and graduate educational experience by providing an environment for fostering entrepreneurialism and a parallel pipeline for talented engineers and scientist to industry. The strong ties of the executive mentorship program to the Boston business community also contributes to the economic development of the region by launching new businesses and job creation.