"MIMIC" - Multifunctional Integrated Microsystem for rapid point-of-care TB IdentifiCation

世界三分之一的人口感染了结核病，每年有900万新的活动性结核病病例。虽然延误诊断这种疾病会导致潜在的感染传播，但仅基于临床原因诊断结核病是困难的，因为患者往往只有非特异性症状。目前的诊断测试面临着重大限制，因为它们需要将样本送到医疗检测机构，而且可能还需要两天时间才能进行，从而延长了患者不确定并具有潜在传染性的时间。该项目的目标是开发一种“护理点”系统来诊断结核病，该系统基于手指刺伤的血液样本，在几分钟内完成。它汇集了一个商业主导的财团，拥有广泛的专业知识，从临床结核病专家，与英国三所不同大学的患者密切相关，到工程和生物学。该系统由一个包含样本和所需所有试剂的低成本一次性墨盒组成，与提供电力、驱动和传感的读取器接口。对一次性墨盒上的血滴的操纵是基于格拉斯哥大学的一项专利创新，利用声波携带的机械能来驱动液体。这项测试以使用生物标记物的诊断芯片为中心，该芯片由MV诊断公司设计，由Eigem Ltd创造，专门检测人体对结核病病原体的反应。大量不同的(和专有的)生物标记物有可能在几分钟内提供前所未有的敏感性和特异性，而目前的测试需要数小时甚至数天。

One third of the world’s population is infected with TB and there are nine million new cases of active TB every year. While delays in diagnosing the disease result in a potential infection spreading, the diagnosis of TB on clinical grounds alone is difficult as patients often have only non-specific symptoms. Current diagnostic tests are facing major limitations, as they require samples to be sent to medical testing facilities and may take a further two days to perform, extending the time during which a patient is unsure and potentially infectious. This project aims at developing a ‘point-of-care’ system to diagnose TB, based on a blood sample from a finger-prick in a matter of minutes. It assembles a business-led consortium with a wide range of expertise, from clinical TB experts, closely involved with patients in three different universities across the UK, to engineering and biology.The system comprises a low-cost disposable cartridge containing the sample and all the reagents required, interfaced with a reader that provides power, actuation and sensing. The manipulation of the drop of blood on the disposable cartridge is based on a patented innovation from the University of Glasgow, using the mechanical energy carried by sound waves to actuate liquids. The test is centered on a diagnostic chip using biomarkers, designed by MV diagnostics and created by Epigem Ltd that specifically detects the response of the human body to the tuberculosis pathogen. The large number of different (and proprietary) biomarkers has the potential to provide unprecedented sensitivity and specificity, within minutes, where current tests require hours or even days.