Methods of making a diagnostic device by interweaving hydrophobic and hydrophilic fibers, and diagnostic device therefrom

Inventors

Bhandari, Paridhi • Dendukuri, Dhananjaya • Ganapathy, Vijayakumar • Kandaswamy, Srinivasan • Lewis, Diya

Assignees

Achira Labs Pvt Ltd

Abstract

In one aspect, the invention provides a method for making a hydrophilic-silk composition. The method includes providing at least one strand of silk fiber, treating the silk fiber with an alkaline solution to provide at least one strand of degummed silk fiber, and treating the degummed silk fiber with a treatment solution to provide a hydrophilic-silk composition. The degummed silk fiber or the hydrophilic-silk composition is further immobilized with at least one reagent to make a silk-based diagnostic composition. The invention provides a silk-based diagnostic composition made by the method of the invention, and a diagnostic device that comprises the silk-based diagnostic composition. In another aspect, the invention provides a method of making a diagnostic device. The method includes providing at least one strand of a diagnostic-fiber composition, providing at least one strand of a hydrophobic-fiber composition, inter-weaving the at least one strand of the diagnostic-fiber composition and the at least one strand of the hydrophobic-fiber composition. In one embodiment, the diagnostic-fiber composition and the hydrophobic-fiber composition are both based on silk.

Core Innovation

The invention relates to a diagnostic device formed from woven fiber strands, where at least one strand of a diagnostic-fiber composition comprises degummed silk immobilized with at least one of a first reagent, a second reagent or both. The diagnostic-fiber composition is combined with at least one strand of a hydrophobic-fiber composition so that the strands are inter-woven, and the inter-weaving is configured to result in an angle between the strands that provides greater control to affect flow properties of the diagnostic-fiber composition strand.

A diagnostic device is made by inter-weaving the diagnostic-fiber composition strands and the hydrophobic-fiber composition strands, with the inter-weaving configured to control the flow properties through the angle between the strands. The diagnostic-fiber composition and the hydrophobic-fiber composition are wound relative to one another during inter-weaving, so the strand winding relative orientation contributes to controlling flow properties.

In particular implementations described in the document, hydrophilic confinement is achieved by using degummed silk optionally immobilized with reagents such as antigens or capture and detection antibodies, together with a hydrophobic-fiber composition using hydrophobic-coated silk such as brass- or gold-coated silk. The document describes textile weaving configurations including double warp double weft and selectable loom types, where warp/weft angle and winding control are used to control flow of aqueous samples to hydrophilic regions. Multiplexed analysis is described through multiple reagent regions patterned within the woven device, and proof-of-concept is described showing dye confinement to hydrophilic degummed silk with no color in hydrophobic gold/brass regions.

Claims Coverage

The document includes three independent claims: a method for making a diagnostic device, a device made by that method, and a diagnostic device having the inter-woven strand structure. Each independent claim centers on an angle created by inter-weaving and relative winding of degummed-silk diagnostic strands and hydrophobic-fiber strands to control flow properties, using immobilized reagents on the diagnostic strands.

Across the independent claims, the core coverage is the combination of degummed silk immobilized with reagents in a diagnostic-fiber composition with inter-woven hydrophobic-fiber composition strands. The inter-weaving is configured to produce an angle between strands, together with the relative winding of the strands, to provide greater control over the flow properties of the diagnostic-fiber composition.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications