The “chip” term emphasizes the capacity to mass-produce the sensor elements in a way similar to those used by the microelectronics industry that ultimately leads to high performance at reduced cost. The same sensor platform has the capacity to measure both soluble analytes using bead microreactors (Figure 1B)17–24 as well as cell counting, typing, and differentiation using membrane microstructures (Figure 1C).25–27 Figure 1. (A) P-BNCs
are programmed to measure medically relevant species in complex biological samples through the employment of three-dimensional “nano-nets” composed of agarose selleck strands supported within 280 μm Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical bead “micro-sponges,” … These two distinct types of assay platforms are packaged with in a disposable, single-use P-BNC sensor lab card (Figure 2). The lab card — with Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical built-in incipient-stabilized detection reagents, fluid mixing and partitioning compartments, and a sample-loading dock and self-contained
bio-waste compartment — is inserted in the light-emitting diode/charge-coupled, device-equipped, mechano-optical analyzer to complete entire assay Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical sequences in an automated manner. The toaster-size portable analyzer serves as a universal-interface portable smart device that includes an embedded PC. It also provides for mechanical, optical, and software capabilities operated through a user interface that functions upon insertion of the lab card and concludes with an easy-to-interpret liquid crystal display readout of the test result. Figure 2. From macro to nano. (A) In the P-BNC system, interface with the human user occurs via a portable, self-contained analyzer that (A/B) processes a compact, modular, single-use/disposable lab card. (C) The lab card
Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical houses the diagnostic core of the P-BNC, … Compared to gold standard methods such as enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA), P-BNCs exhibit assay times in minutes instead of hours, a limit of detection (LOD) 2 or more orders of magnitude lower, and a proven capacity Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical to multiplex 10 or more concurrent analytes with appropriate internal controls and calibrators. The MycoClean Mycoplasma Removal Kit strong analytical performance of the P-BNCs may be attributed to the porous nature of its bead sensors, the active transport mode of delivery of the sample and detection reagents, and the highly stringent washes associated with this microfluidic approach. Like ELISA, the bead-based P-BNCs complete 2-site immunometric as well as competitive immunoassays. Unlike ELISA, which limits the diffusion-mediated antigen-antibody (Ag-Ab) binding to a 2-dimensional planar surface at the bottom of the well, P-BNCs provide a roughly 1000-fold to 10,000-fold increase in surface area on the 3-dimensional (3D) bead sensor. This 3D reactor allows for significantly increased contact area and on-off-on again, higher avidity Ag-Ab interactions.