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Sample-to-Answer Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Viremia Using Thermally Responsive Alkane Partitions.
David J Boegner1, Miso Na1, Anthony D Harris2
1Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, United States.
Analytical Chemistry
|July 8, 2024
Summary
A new point-of-care diagnostic system using thermally responsive alkane partitions (TRAPs) enables rapid, automated detection of bloodborne viruses like SARS-CoV-2 directly from blood samples, improving patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Diagnostics
- Molecular Virology
- Point-of-Care Testing
Background:
- Current bloodborne viral infection (viremia) diagnostics require central labs, causing delays in diagnosis and treatment.
- Developing automated, low-cost, point-of-care (POC) systems for viremia detection is challenging due to complex assay requirements.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a sample-to-answer POC diagnostic system for bloodborne viruses using thermally responsive alkane partitions (TRAPs).
- To demonstrate the system's capability for rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 in blood samples and patient samples.
Main Methods:
- Utilized thermally responsive alkane partitions (TRAPs) for complete automation of diagnostic assays.
- Developed a low-cost, portable device with easily manufacturable cassettes for sample-to-answer virus detection.
- Tested the system with SARS-CoV-2 spiked blood samples and clinical samples from COVID-19 patients.
Main Results:
- Successfully demonstrated sample-to-answer detection of viruses in blood using the TRAP-based system.
- Achieved good agreement between the TRAP system and conventional RT-qPCR for detecting viremia in COVID-19 patient samples.
- Validated the system's performance in detecting SARS-CoV-2 in spiked blood samples.
Conclusions:
- The developed TRAP-based system offers a viable solution for rapid, automated point-of-care diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 viremia.
- This technology has the potential to improve health outcomes for severe COVID-19 patients and can be extended to diagnose other bloodborne viral diseases like Hepatitis C and HIV.
