Electrokinetic device for capturing assayable agents in a dielectric fluid

Inventors

Gordon, Julian • Gandhi, Prasanthi

Assignees

Airanswers Inc

Abstract

Electrokinetic devices and methods are described with the purpose of collecting assayable agents from a dielectric fluid medium. Electrokinetic flow may be induced by the use of plasma generation at high voltage electrodes and consequent transport of charged particles in an electric voltage gradient. In one embodiment, the agents are directed electrokinetically to the sample collection assay device with no intermediate transfer steps. The agents are directed by creation of an electrokinetic potential well, which will effect their capture on to an assay device. Environmental agents such as biowarfare agents, pathogens, allergens or pollutants are collected autonomously on to the assay device, without any human intervention. The dielectric fluid medium, such as air, is sampled by electrokinetic propulsion with no moving parts or optionally, by transporting the dielectric fluid by a fan, pump or by breath. A further embodiment for collection of pathogen samples entails breathing into a tube where the sample is exposed to an electric plasma in the neighborhood of a high voltage electrode or electrodes, further transported by the breath through a potential well created at a sample collection device, where charge particles are electroprecipitated. The dielectric fluid medium may further include non-conductive liquids, such as oils. Oils may be sampled for the presence of contaminants, contaminating organisms or bio-degrading organisms.

Core Innovation

The invention provides a device for collection of a sample from a dielectric fluid medium for a bio-specific assay. The device includes an enclosure receiving fluid flow of the dielectric fluid medium and one or more wire electrodes positioned in the enclosure to subject the dielectric fluid medium flowing in the enclosure to an ionizing plasma. Charged particles are generated within the dielectric fluid medium or are present in the dielectric fluid medium.

A capture electrode is positioned distal to the one or more wire electrodes to create a voltage potential well in the housing. Non-conducting capture means comprising an element of a bio-specific assay is positioned proximate the capture electrode so that charged particles thus generated within the dielectric fluid medium, or pre-existing in the dielectric fluid medium, are propelled into the capture means, thereby electroprecipitating the charged particles onto the capture means of the bio-specific assay.

The disclosed embodiments include compatibility with different assay types and use cases, including lateral flow immunochromatographic assay and nucleic acid hybridization including polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The description also includes a breathalyzer embodiment and multiplex capture electrodes for enhanced sensitivity, including embodiments directed to breath-borne pathogens such as M. tuberculosis and cartridge-based assays.

Claims Coverage

Independent claim clm-00001 recites a sample-collection device that combines wire-electrode ionizing plasma generation in a dielectric fluid medium, formation of a downstream electrokinetic voltage potential well, and electroprecipitation of charged particles directly onto a non-conducting bio-specific assay capture element. The claim set includes dependent refinements specifying particular assay types and additional structural or operational constraints.

Across the dependent claims, the core claimed inventive concept is refined by specifying particular assay formats, constraining multiplex capture electrode geometry, and adding a continuous movement feature to generate time records.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications