MicroSensor: development of a novel and highly scalable platform technology for rapid in situ screening for infection on medical device surfaces.

许多一次性医疗产品可能被微生物定植，导致患者严重疾病甚至死亡。传统上，科学家们一直试图找到更好的方法来杀死微生物；然而，这种方法并没有完全奏效，也可能永远无法根除这个问题。在开展bbsrc资助的关于这一主题的工作时，我们利用我们开发的方法为管理这些感染提供了替代策略。我们的“微传感器”方法涉及一个靠近设备表面的微型隔室，在感染时产生强烈可见的颜色变化，从而使早期临床干预能够防止严重感染的发生。在这里，我们计划展示微传感器是可靠的，它的灵敏度是可以控制的，它在隐形眼镜盒或伤口敷料中使用时起作用，这是最接近市场的应用。大型医疗设备公司表示，要说服他们共同开发这项技术，就需要这些数据。

Many disposable medical products can be colonised by microbes, leading to severe illness or even death of the patient. Traditionally scientists have tried to find better ways to kill the microbes; however this approach has not fully worked, and may never eradicate the problem. Whilst carrying out BBSRC-funded work on this topic, we utilised methods we had developed to provide an alternative strategy for managing these infections. Our "MicroSensor" approach, involves a minature compartment close to the device surface, producing a strongly visible colour change when infected, thus enabling earlier clinical interventions to prevent serious infection occurring. Here we plan to show the MicroSensor is reliable, that its sensitivity can be controlled, and that it functions when used in a contact lens case or wound dressing, the applications closest to market. Major medical device companies have indicated these data would be required to convince them to co-develop the technology.