Abstract
Researchers at the University of Central Florida have
designed an innovative syringe that can simultaneously draw a patient's blood
and extract/purify nucleic acids from the sample. Thus, a simple blood draw
results in a prepared sample ready for nucleic acid detection. In comparison,
the conventional blood preparation process can be labor-intensive and time-consuming
due to the need for sample preparation. This
additional time can contribute to sample degradation or delayed/inaccurate
diagnoses. The UCF integrated syringe resolves such issues, offering a faster
and more efficient, low-cost method that may help speed the detection of infectious
diseases such as Zika, dengue or chikungunya. Early detection and diagnosis of these
and many other illnesses are crucial to
providing effective treatments.
Technical Details
The UCF invention is a novel syringe designed to draw and
prepare a blood sample for nucleic acid detection. The innovative diagnostic
tool integrates a cylindrical cam mechanism in the plunger to perform blood tasks
that are typically done at a lab (blood lysis, DNA/RNA capture, washing and
elution). As blood is drawn from a patient, the vacuum created by the plunger actuates
valving that automatically switches between the various preparation tasks. The prepared
nucleic acid sample can be analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Alternatively,
the prepared sample can be used with a specially designed real-time PCR device
that contains a cartridge with lyophilized real-time PCR reagents, enabling
nucleic acid amplification and disease diagnostics. Because the syringe requires
no power or external supplies, it can be adapted for use in low-resource
settings. The mass-producible syringe is estimated to cost less than $10.
Partnering Opportunity
The research team is looking for partners to develop the
technology for commercialization.
Stage of Development
Prototype available.
Benefit
Low cost and mass-reproducible (approximately less than $10 per syringe)Automates labor-intensive sample preparation (collects and processes samples directly from patients)Requires no power or external suppliesCan be adapted to detect various infectious diseasesMarket Application
Point-of-care testingLaboratory/research usePublications
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