# US 2021/0277439 A1 · Malaria detection method and device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0277439 A1 - Document ID: US20210277439A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/808,807 - Filed: 2020-03-04 - Published: 2021-09-09 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-04 - Assignees: Yu-Chung Norman Cheng - Inventors: Yu-Chung Norman Cheng; Mitchelle V. Zolotarevsky - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210277439A1 ## CPC - C12Q 1/04: Determining presence or kind of microorganism; Use of selective media for testing antibiotics or bacteriocides; Compositions containing a chemical indicator therefor {(C12Q1/6897 takes precedence)} - G01N 27/06: of a liquid (involving electrolysis G01N27/26) - G01N 27/221: {by investigating the dielectric properties (using microwaves G01N22/00; measuring loss factors or dielectric constants per se G01R27/26)} - G01N 33/49: Blood {(chemical methods for determining blood cell populations G01N33/5094; chemical analysis of blood groups or blood types G01N33/80)} - G01N 2333/445: Plasmodium - G01N 2469/00: Immunoassays for the detection of microorganisms - Y02A 50/30: Against vector-borne diseases, e.g. mosquito-borne, fly-borne, tick-borne or waterborne diseases whose impact is exacerbated by climate change - C12Q: MEASURING OR TESTING PROCESSES INVOLVING ENZYMES, NUCLEIC ACIDS OR MICROORGANISMS (immunoassay G01N33/53); COMPOSITIONS OR TEST PAPERS THEREFOR; PROCESSES OF PREPARING SUCH COMPOSITIONS; CONDITION-RESPONSIVE CONTROL IN MICROBIOLOGICAL OR ENZYMOLOGICAL PROCESSES - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE ## Abstract An method of malaria detection includes providing an interdigitated sensor having a first electrode with a plurality of fingers and a second electrode with a plurality of fingers, interspersed and spaced apart from the fingers of the first electrode. A quantity of blood to be tested is received on the sensor. The blood is to be dried and is measured for at least one measurable characteristic, including a resistance of the blood. The presence of malaria infected blood is determined based on a comparison between the measurable characteristics and a predetermined threshold related to the measurable characteristics. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of detecting malaria within a blood sample, the method comprising: providing an interdigitated sensor, the interdigitated sensor comprising; a first electrode having a plurality of fingers; a second electrode having a plurality of fingers; wherein the first electrode fingers are interspersed with the second electrode fingers and having a space therebetween; receiving a quantity of blood; applying the quantity of blood to the interdigitated sensor; allowing the quantity of blood to dry on the interdigitated sensor; measuring the quantity of blood for at least one measurable characteristic, wherein the at least one measurable characteristic includes a resistance of the blood; and determining the presence of malaria infected blood based on a comparison between the at least one measurable characteristic and a predetermined threshold related to the at least one measurable characteristic. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one measurable characteristic further includes a capacitance of the blood. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the predetermined threshold includes a threshold based on both the resistance and capacitance of the blood. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising testing a second quantity of blood from the same source as the quantity of blood to confirm the determination of the presence of malaria in the blood. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the space in between the fingers is 1 micrometer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein applying the quantity of blood to the sensor comprises applying the quantity of blood adjacent to the sensor or along an edge of the sensor and swiping the quantity of blood only once to disperse the blood over the sensor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the quantity of blood comprises as little as 0.5 microliter of blood. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the blood is allowed to dry on the sensor for five minutes. ### Claim 9 A handheld device for detecting malaria within a blood sample comprising: a handheld body; a user interface including a graphic interface; an interdigitated sensor connected to the handheld body, the interdigitated sensor comprising; a first electrode having a plurality of fingers; a second electrode having a plurality of fingers; wherein the first electrode fingers are interspersed with the second electrode fingers and having a space therebetween; wherein the interdigitated sensor is configured to receive a quantity of blood applied thereon and to measure the quantity of blood for at least one measurable characteristic, wherein the at least one measurable characteristic includes a resistance of the blood; and wherein the handheld device is configured to determine the presence of malaria infected blood based on a comparison between the at least one measurable characteristic and a predetermined threshold related to the at least one measurable characteristic. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The handheld device of claim 9, wherein the at least one measurable characteristic further includes a capacitance of the blood. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The handheld device of claim 10, wherein the predetermined threshold includes a threshold based on both the resistance and capacitance of the blood. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The handheld device of claim 9, wherein the space in between the fingers is 1 micrometer. ### Claim 13 A method of cleaning a sensor, the method comprising: creating a cleaning solution, wherein the cleaning solution comprises water and bleach; placing the sensor within the cleaning solution; placing the sensor in the cleaning solution within an ultrasound cleaning device; removing the sensor from the cleaning solution and rinsing the sensor; testing the sensor in air for a predetermined resistance threshold; and testing the sensor in air for a predetermined capacitance threshold. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the cleaning solution comprises 80% water and 20% concentrated bleach. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the bleach is concentrated bleach with 8.25% of sodium hypochlorite. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the sensor is an interdigitated sensor. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the interdigitated sensor has a substrate of quartz or silicon dioxide. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the predetermined resistance threshold is 100 M ohms. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the capacitance threshold is 40.0±1.0 pf/m per pair of fingers and per its length. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein sensor in the cleaning solution is placed within the ultrasound cleaning device for at least 10 minutes.