Malaria detection
AssigneeMagnetrap
InventorsPierre Duez, Alain Roch, Bertrand Blankert, Phillippe Okusa, Richard Avaert
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Abstract
The presence of hemozoin as an indicator of malaria in a blood sample is detected by magnetic separation, dissolution and spectroscopic analysis.
Claims14
A method of detecting a target material in a sample comprising the target material in a form having magnetic properties, the method comprising:
- magnetic separation of the magnetic form of the target material from the sample in a first phase in which the target material is magnetically separated from the sample by passing the sample through a magnetic separator and retaining the magnetic form of the target material within the separator;
- dissolution of the separated magnetic form of the target material to provide an analysable solution comprising the target material in a second phase in which the target material is removed from the magnetic separator by dissolution and elution in a solution, notably in an un-magnetised form, so as to provide the analysable solution;
- and
- spectroscopic analysis of the analysable solution to detect the target material.
A device for detecting the presence of a target material in a liquid sample comprising the target material in a form having magnetic properties, the device comprising:
- a magnetic separator having a sample flow path between a sample inlet and a sample outlet, the magnetic separator flow path passing over magnetic members, notably magnetisable microspheres, retained within the magnetic separator;
- and
- a spectroscopic analyser having a sample flow path between a sample inlet and a sample outlet, the sample outlet of the magnetic separator being in fluid connection with the sample inlet of the spectroscopic analyser, the spectroscopic analyser flow path comprising a detection zone and the spectroscopic analyser comprising a radiation emitter, notably a quasi-monochromatic light emitter, configured to emit radiation in to the detection zone and a sensor configured to detect radiation at the detection zone.
The device in accordance with 12, wherein the device is connected to signal analyser configured to provide an indication of the quantity of target material in the sample on the basis of an output signal from the spectroscopic analyser.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.