Diagnostic System and Process for Rapid Bacterial Infection Diagnosis
AssigneeNortheastern University
InventorsEdgar D. GOLUCH, Hunter J. SISMAET, Thaddaeus A. WEBSTER
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Abstract
Methods and devices for monitoring the viability of a biofilm comprising Pseudomonas Aeruginosa bacteria are provided by detecting pyocyanin. The invention relates to electrochemical methods and devices that offer a simple and inexpensive alternative for immediate identification of bacterial infection due to the presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In some embodiments, an inexpensive, disposable electrochemical sensor can be used to rapidly screen for the presence of P. aeruginosa in clinical wound effluent samples.
Claims47
A method of monitoring viability of a biofilm comprising Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria in a patient, the method comprising:
- (a) introducing a fluid sample from the patient into a microfluidic device including a working electrode and a reference electrode;
- (b) performing an electrochemical measurement to detect pyocyanin in the fluid sample;
- and
- (c) determining a concentration of pyocyanin in the fluid sample by using a previously determined correlation between pyocyanin concentration and current flow through the working electrode;
- wherein the pyocyanin concentration is the fluid sample provides a measure of the viability of the biofilm.
A method of monitoring effectiveness of an antibiotic treatment of a Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in a patient, the method comprising:
- (a) introducing a fluid sample from the patient into a microfluidic device including a working electrode and a reference electrode;
- (b) performing an electrochemical measurement to detect pyocyanin in the fluid sample;
- and
- (c) determining a concentration of pyocyanin in the fluid sample by using a previously determined correlation between known concentrations of the pyocyanin and a current flow through the working electrode;
- wherein the pyocyanin concentration in the fluid sample provides a measure of the effectiveness of the antibiotic treatment.
A method of screening effectiveness of an antibiotic against a biofilm comprising Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the method comprising:
- (a) introducing a sample comprising Pseudomonas aeruginosa into a growth chamber in a microfluidic device including a working electrode and a reference electrode;
- (b) allowing the Pseudomonas aeruginosa to grow and form a biofilm in the growth chamber;
- (c) introducing an antibiotic at a selected concentration into the growth chamber of the device;
- (d) performing an electrochemical measurement to detect pyocyanin in the fluid sample;
- (e) determining a concentration of pyocyanin in the sample by using a previously determined correlation between known concentrations of the pyocyanin and a current flow through the working electrode, wherein the concentration of pyocyanin below a threshold indicates effectiveness of the antibiotic.
A method of monitoring viability of a biofilm comprising Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria, the method comprising:
- (a) introducing a fluid sample into a microfluidic device including a working electrode and a reference electrode;
- (b) performing an electrochemical measurement to detect pyocyanin in the fluid sample;
- and
- (c) determining a concentration of pyocyanin in the fluid sample by using a previously determined correlation between pyocyanin concentration and current flow through the working electrode;
- wherein the pyocyanin concentration is the fluid sample provides a measure of the viability of the biofilm.
A device for monitoring viability of a biofilm comprising Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the device comprising:
- a sensor comprising a microfluidic or nanofluidic electrode assembly comprising a microfluidic or nanofluidic channel disposed in a substrate, a working electrode disposed in the microfluidic or nanofluidic channel, and a reference electrode disposed in the microfluidic or nanofluidic channel;
- a control system comprising a processor and memory, machine-readable instructions stored in the memory that, upon execution by the processor, control voltage at the working electrode and the reference electrode, and determine a concentration of pyocyanin in a fluid sample in the microfluidic or nanofluidic channel by using a previously determined correlation between known concentrations of pyocyanin and current flow through the working electrode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.