The innovation presented in this proposal is a new class of label-free biochemical sensors with applicability in point of care (POC) medical diagnostics. The goal of the project to develop commercial biochip systems with compelling performance metrics targeted for rapid screening of an array of antibiotic resistant microbials in a clinical setting. The biochips and attendant hardware will be economic in fabrication and in use. The proposed guided-mode resonance (GMR) sensor chips are based on resonant leaky modes in polymer/dielectric films and operate in transmission. The transmission geometry in conjunction with an optimized single-wavelength angular addressing scheme enables ultra-compact integrated sensor biochips possessing superior signal integrity. Preliminary results show that these unique sensors achieve high resolution via narrow, well-defined resonance nulls and high sensitivities via surface-localized leaky modes. In collaboration with a contract manufacturer, a commercial-grade system will be designed, constructed, and characterized to establish low-cost, high-volume manufacturability. A small, disposable sensor chip will be sensitized to detect an array of 13 pathogens in a single sample in less than 15 minutes. This panel can readily be extended to detect hundreds of analytes simultaneously (depending on target requirements). A microfluidic sample delivery channel is used to minimize reagents and sample volumes. The system reader will be fabricated using low-power microelectronics that can be ruggedized for field use. This work will be performed closely with clinical collaborators to validate this approach in a clinical setting.
It is widely known that hospital acquired infections is a leading cause of surgical complications in patients with reduced immunity. Multi-drug resistant organisms such as MRSA and VRE can cause very serious and life-threatening illness, including surgical wound, bloodstream, and urinary tract infections, as well as pneumonia. The proposed research provides economic sensor systems to effectively implement the screening tests needed to rapidly identify an array of antibiotic resistant pathogens in a clinical setting.
