Rapid Molecular Diagnostic Sensor Based on Ball-Lensed Optical Fibers

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Infectious Disease Diagnostics
• Optical Sensing Technology

Background:

• Emerging infectious pathogens pose significant health risks, necessitating rapid diagnostic tools.
• Current molecular diagnostic methods are often time-consuming and complex, hindering timely treatment.
• Accurate and swift identification of pathogens like Coxiella burnetii is vital for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a rapid bio-optical sensor for precise infectious pathogen diagnosis.
• To utilize a ball-lensed optical fiber (BLOF) probe for enhanced sensing capabilities.
• To create an automatic analysis platform for efficient pathogen detection.

Main Methods:

• Development of a novel bio-optical sensor system incorporating a BLOF probe.
• Implementation of an automatic analysis platform for signal processing.
• Testing the system's performance using Coxiella burnetii DNA and clinical specimens.

Main Results:

• The BLOF probe demonstrated high optical sensing sensitivity and a large detection range.
• Automatic signal processing detected as low as 250 copies/reaction of Coxiella burnetii DNA within 8 minutes.
• Clinical utility was validated with 18 specimens, achieving 100% accuracy in DNA detection.

Conclusions:

• The developed BLOF probe-based sensor enables rapid, simple, and sensitive diagnosis of infectious pathogens.
• This technology holds potential as a practical tool for emerging infectious disease diagnostics.
• The system's speed and accuracy are advantageous over traditional molecular methods.