I-Corps: Paper-based Microfluidic Viral Diagnostic Device

该I-Corps项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是诊断设备的多功能性，可用于公共卫生，兽医，食品加工和水测试等许多行业。该手持式诊断设备可在地方病爆发的情况下用作即时检测系统。易于使用和视觉颜色变化将有助于快速诊断以及预防性护理。这也可能会改善目标分子的检测、治疗和根除，例如在微生物或毒素的情况下，导致患者更快康复。I-Corps的这个项目是基于使用金纳米颗粒作为被动纸流检测的检测分子的光谱移动能力的概念。蜡染技术用于在滤纸上打印通道，其中一个区域用凝集素处理，凝集素聚集血液的细胞成分，只让血浆流动。血浆含有靶分子，针对该靶分子，抗靶分子蛋白质粘附到涂覆在蜡通道末端的金纳米颗粒上。通过靶/抗靶分子反应的概念，粘附的金纳米颗粒附着在靶分子上并形成复合物。这种聚集导致光谱的偏移，导致视觉颜色变化。基于所选择的目标分子，金纳米颗粒可以与不同类型的蛋白质分子粘附，从而为各种行业中用于检测不同目标分子的设备提供了无限可能性。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the versatile nature of the diagnostic device created to be used in many industries ranging from public health, veterinary medicine, food processing, and water testing. The hand held diagnostic device can be used as a point-of-care detection system in the case of an endemic disease outbreak. Ease of usage and visual color change will help in quick diagnosis as well as prophylactic care. It may also be possible that this will improve detection, treatment and eradication of the target molecule such as in the case of a microbe or toxin leading to quicker patient recovery.This I-Corps project was based on the concept of using spectrum-shifting ability of gold nanoparticles as detection molecules on a passive paper flow assay. Wax printing technology is used to print channels on filter paper in which an area is treated with lectins, which clump the cellular component of blood and only let plasma flow. The plasma contains the target molecule for which an anti-target molecule protein is adhered onto gold nanoparticles coated at the end of the wax channels. By the concept of a target/anti-target molecule response, the adhered gold nanoparticles attach onto the target molecules and form complexes. This aggregation of causes a shift in the light spectrum leading to a visual color change. Based on the chosen target molecule, gold nanoparticles could be adhered with different types of protein molecules giving an endless possibility the device used for the detection of different target molecules in various industries.