Small size but great performance: Exploring rapid disease diagnosis based on nanosensor technology
Faced with the global spread of the COVID-19 epidemic, the key to epidemic prevention is to "fight fast with fast". Rapid screening and detection of potential cases is crucial to controlling the spread of the virus. The current method of confirming fever by measuring forehead temperature cannot detect asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic infections, nor can it distinguish this deadly new coronavirus from less threatening respiratory diseases. How to scientifically speed up the detection process is particularly critical. This article takes the rapid diagnostic device based on portable nanosensor technology envisioned by ADI in cooperation with the pioneering biotechnology company Pinpoint Science as an example to explore the application of nanosensors in a wider range of rapid detection fields.
In fact, in addition to COVID-19, microbial pathogens, including viruses and bacteria, kill millions of people every year. The continued occurrence of viral infectious diseases and epidemics affects the livelihoods and economies of countries. In the ongoing fight to control and eliminate deadly infectious diseases, how can we keep people safe? First-line screening is a solution. However, the infectious disease detection methods currently used take 15 minutes to 4 hours to produce results, which is too slow to control or contain the rapid spread of epidemics. Moreover, today's tests are often inaccurate or expensive, relying on laboratories, trained technicians, and complex sample preparation processes. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a test device that can detect antigens quickly and efficiently.
纳米传感器开始走向科学家们的视线，由于纳米传感器站在原子尺度上，因此利用纳米技术制作的传感器尺寸减小、精度提高、性能大大改善，从而极大地丰富了传感器的理论，推动了传感器的制作水平，拓宽了传感器的应用领域。与传统的传感器相比，纳米传感器由于可以在原子和分子尺度上进行操作，充分利用了纳米材料的反应活性、拉曼光谱效应、催化效率、导电性、强度、硬度、韧性、超强可塑性和超顺磁性等特有性质，具有许多显著特点：
High sensitivity: Carbon nanotube sensors used to detect toxic gases use nanocrystals or porous nanomaterials to increase the surface area in contact with toxic gas molecules, increasing their sensitivity several times. Using carbon nanotube and nanofilm technology, researchers have developed a highly sensitive and stable flexible wearable bionic tactile sensor - artificial bionic electronic skin, which can accurately detect different physiological states of the human body and diagnose early stages of disease.
Low power consumption: Nanoscale robotic sensors can already enter the human body through blood injection, monitor the physiological parameters of the human body in real time, and are expected to provide targeted and precise treatment for cancer cells and pathogenic genes. Compared with traditional sensors, nanosensors can also be self-powered and have the ability to collect light radiation and electromagnetic radiation energy from the environment.
Low cost: With the maturity of nanomaterial preparation technology, the repeatability and mass production of the manufacturing process are no longer a big problem, and the manufacturing cost of nanosensors can also be greatly reduced.
Multifunctional integration: Traditional sensors generally have a single function, while nanosensors can process an array of thousands of nanosensors with different functions on a small miniaturized chip, giving it multifunctional detection and analysis capabilities, as well as increasingly powerful data processing, storage and analysis capabilities. If connected to the Internet, it will also have the ability to remotely analyze and process data.
The basic principle is to detect influenza viruses in humans and bluetongue viruses in animals based on the detection of nanosensors. This diagnosis uses antibodies or synthetic molecules to detect and measure specific proteins to determine whether there is infection. In Pinpoint Science's view, the role of this detection platform for humans is not limited to the COVID-19 epidemic, but has longer-term value.
Step 1: Insert the test cartridge into the Pinpoint reader.
Step 2: Insert the swab into the test cartridge.
Step 3, press the button, if positive, the light turns blue, if negative, the light turns white. The result is also displayed on the tablet.
Based on this demand, ADI modified its production process to customize the sensor according to the startup's design. Through ADI's unique MEMS manufacturing capabilities and sensor development capabilities, Pinpoint tests its products to determine the performance of the sensor, and if the results are satisfactory, it will be transformed into a functional nanopore biosensor.
ADI的精密数据转换器也非常适合Pinpoint的电化学平台，事实上Pinpoint的便携式读取器便将以ADuCM355化学传感平台为基础。ADuCM355精密模拟微控制器带有生物传感器和化学传感器接口，是目前能够在单个芯片上同时实现恒电位仪和电化学阻抗频谱分析仪(EIS)功能的唯一解决方案，是工业气体检测、仪器仪表、生命体征监测和疾病管理等应用的理想解决方案。该器件集成了行业最先进的传感器诊断技术，具有卓越的低噪声和低功耗性能，并且尺寸最小。传统的分立式解决方案往往具有一些局限性，并且需要多个IC才能实现类似性能，相比之下，ADI的新型微控制器平台能够提供更高的可靠性和极大灵活性，并且可以显著节约成本。
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