US 2026/0233218 A1 · SEMI-QUANTITATIVE ELECTROCHEMICAL BIOSENSOR SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PATHOGENIC ORGANISM NUCLEIC ACID DETECTION

Abstract

A semi-quantitative electrochemical biosensor system employs a benchtop device and disposable test cartridges capable of quickly identifying pathogen DNA at the point of care. The system leverages an electrochemical DNA probe sensor platform in situ with the nucleic acid amplification reaction, which allows for simultaneous semi-quantitative detection of multiple DNA molecules. The cartridge enables in-situ and real time detection of the amplificon using an electrochemical nucleic acid probe sensor during the amplification process. On the cartridge, the electrochemical DNA probe based sensor array is directly integrated in the nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT) reaction. By placing the eDNA probe sensor in the NAAT reaction, the device can simultaneously measure the reaction produced amplicons while the reaction progresses. The NAAT can be either an isothermal process, or a modified isothermal process with periodic cooling, or a thermal oscillation (e.g. polymerase chain reaction PCR) amplification method.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A microfluidic electrochemical biosensor cartridge comprising:

a sample loading port;
a reagent reservoir containing nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) reagents, including a target-specific NAAT reaction primer;
a nucleic acid amplification reaction chamber (NAAT reaction chamber);
an electrochemical sensor array disposed within the NAAT reaction chamber, including an electrochemical sensor configured to detect an amplified target nucleic acid sequence, the electrochemical sensor including an electrode and a plurality of target-specific probe oligonucleotides attached to a surface of the electrode, wherein each probe oligonucleotide is labeled with an electrochemical redox reporter and includes a complementary sequence that is complementary to the target nucleic acid sequence, and configured to undergo conformation changes upon hybridization with the target nucleic acid sequence to change a redox electron transfer rate between the redox reporter and the electrode;
a plurality of microchannels fluidicly connecting the sample loading port to the reagent reservoir and fluidicly connecting the reagent reservoir to the NAAT reaction chamber;
and
a plurality of cartridge electrical connectors electrically coupled to the electrochemical sensor array.

4 more elements

A method for detecting a target nucleic acid sequence, comprising:

mixing a sample with nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) reagents, the NAAT reagents including a target-specific NAAT reaction primer;
providing the sample mixed with the NAAT reagents to a nucleic acid amplification reaction chamber (NAAT reaction chamber),
wherein the NAAT reaction chamber is provided with an electrochemical sensor array disposed therein, including an electrochemical sensor configured to detect amplified ones of the target nucleic acid sequence, the electrochemical sensor including an electrode and a plurality of target-specific probe oligonucleotides attached to a surface of the electrode, wherein each probe oligonucleotide is labeled with an electrochemical redox reporter and includes a complementary sequence that is complementary to the target nucleic acid sequence, and configured to undergo conformation changes upon hybridization with the target nucleic acid sequence to change a redox electron transfer rate between the redox reporter and the electrode;
while the NAAT reagents react with the sample to amplify any target nucleic acid sequence in the sample within the NAAT reaction chamber, monitoring an electrical signal generated by the electrochemical sensor array which represents the redox electron transfer rate;
and
determine whether the target nucleic acid sequence is present in the sample based on the monitored electrical signal.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Semi-quantitative electrochemical biosensor system and method for pathogenic organism nucleic acid detection

Life of this patent

Semi-quantitative electrochemical biosensor system and method for pathogenic organism nucleic acid detection

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20