Devices, systems and methods to detect the presence of ß-lactam antibiotic hydrolyzing bacteria in a sample

Inventors

Herget, Meike • KNOPFMACHER, Oren S. • Laufer, Michael D.

Assignees

Avails Medical Inc

Abstract

Various devices, systems and methods for detecting the presence of β-lactam antibiotic hydrolyzing bacteria in a sample are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of detecting the presence of β-lactam antibiotic hydrolyzing bacteria includes introducing the sample to a filter configured to capture bacteria in the sample; introducing a buffer solution to the bacteria captured on the filter surface, wherein the buffer solution comprises a β-lactamase substrate, a β-lactamase activator, and a lysing agent to lyse cells of the bacteria to release β-lactam antibiotic hydrolyzing enzymes; exposing a sensor having an electrical characteristic to a reaction mixture comprising the buffer solution and the β-lactam antibiotic hydrolyzing enzymes; and monitoring a change in the electrical characteristic of the sensor to detect the presence of the β-lactam antibiotic hydrolyzing bacteria in the sample originally introduced.

Core Innovation

The method detects the presence of β-lactam antibiotic hydrolyzing bacteria in a sample without culturing by introducing the sample to a container housing a filter. The filter surface is formed as a mesh or matrix structure made of a polymeric material and secured by the container housing, and the bacteria are captured on the filter surface prior to forming a reaction mixture.

A buffer solution is introduced to the β-lactam antibiotic hydrolyzing bacteria, where the buffer solution comprises a β-lactamase substrate, a β-lactamase activator, and a lysing agent. The lysing agent lyse cells to release β-lactam antibiotic hydrolyzing enzymes, and the buffer solution and the enzymes form a reaction mixture.

A sensor having an electrical characteristic is exposed to the reaction mixture to detect the presence of the β-lactam antibiotic hydrolyzing bacteria. The sensor includes an active electrode and a quasi-reference electrode disposed on a base dielectric layer, and the method monitors a change in the electrical characteristic by measuring a voltage potential between the active electrode and the quasi-reference electrode using a parameter analyzer coupled to the electrodes.

Claims Coverage

Independent claim coverage defines one detection method with four inventive features: a secured polymeric mesh or matrix capture filter, a reaction mixture formed from a β-lactamase substrate, a β-lactamase activator, and a lysing agent, a sensor with an active electrode and a quasi-reference electrode on a base dielectric layer, and voltage potential monitoring via a parameter analyzer.

The claim coverage centers on capturing β-lactam antibiotic hydrolyzing bacteria on a secured polymeric mesh or matrix filter, generating a β-lactamase-driven reaction mixture using a buffer with a β-lactamase substrate, a β-lactamase activator, and a lysing agent, and detecting the bacteria by monitoring an electrode sensor’s electrical characteristic as a measured voltage potential between an active electrode and a quasi-reference electrode on a base dielectric layer.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications