Multiplex-Magnetdetektion von superparamagnetischen Beads zur Identifizierung von Trinkwasserkontaminationen

The qualitative and quantitative detection of target substances in an aqueous sample is of interest for many questions, for example in the detection of contaminations in drinking water in crisis situations. It is not only important that pathogens can be detected with highest possible sensitivity, but also that the analysis is carried out quickly so that safe drinking water can be provided in the event of a disaster. During such a scenario one cannot rely on a functioning laboratory infrastructure nearby. Therefore it is important that the measurement can be carried out directly on site. Within the scope of this work, it was investigated whether such a quick analysis can be performed using superparamagnetic beads (MBs) and the magnetic frequency mixing technique. The MBs are bound to the target substance with the aid of primary antibodies and fixed to the pore surfaces of a polyethylene filter with secondary antibodies (sandwich immunoassay). The quantification of the target substance can thus be traced back to a magnetic measurement of the immobilized MB markers. The magnetic frequency mixing technique is based on the excitation of the sample with magnetic fields of two different frequencies. The mixing frequencies generated due to the non-linear shape of the magnetization of the superparamagnetic MBs are typically analyzed using a two-stage Lock-in detection (analog demodulation), which was implemented in a magnetic reader as a handheld device. In addition to this technique, the principle of direct digitization of the entire response signal with subsequent Fourier analysis of the generated mixing frequencies was experimentally implemented in order to simultaneously record the amplitudes and phases of several mixing frequencies. One possibility for increasing the sensitivity is magnetic concentration. In that case, the MBs are separated from a larger sample volume by means of a magnetic field gradient before the magnetic analysis. To characterize various commercial MBs with regard to their magnetic separability, a setup for measuring their magnetophoretic mobility was implemented and their velocities in the gradient field were measured with an optical microscope.Often, a sample has to be examined not only for a single target substance, but for several different pathogens simultaneously. Various approaches have been developed and tested which enable such a multiparametric magnetic immunoassay. On the one hand, a spatial separation of the binding areas for different target substances was realized, which can be evaluated sequentially. On the other hand, a distinction among different target substances based on the magnetic characteristics of their attached different MB types was examined. For this discrimination, the excitation frequency of the magnetic frequency mixing technology was varied during measurement. It is shown that different MB types can be distinguished from one another based on the phase of their frequency mixing signals. The signal curve of a binary mixture of two different MB types is obtained as a gradual transition of the curves of the two pure MB solutions. Another method of analysis for a multiparametric immunoassay is based on an additional adjustable static magnetic offset field. For this purpose, several setups based on permanent magnets and electromagnets were simulated, designed and characterized. The simulations show that a distinction based on this method is possible for MBs with different magnetic particle moments. As a direct application of the developed magnetic reader in conjunction with digital demodulation, a magnetic assay against the B subunit of cholera toxin in drinking water was demonstrated, and a low detection limit of 0.2 ng/ml was achieved

Measurement of the magnetophoretic velocity of different superparamagnetic beads

The movement of magnetic beads due to a magnetic field gradient is of great interest in different application fields. In this report we present a technique based on a magnetic tweezers setup to measure the velocity factor of magnetically actuated individual superparamagnetic beads in a fluidic environment. Several beads can be tracked simultaneously in order to gain and improve statistics. Furthermore we show our results for different beads with hydrodynamic diameters between 200 and 1000 nm from diverse manufacturers. These measurement data can, for example, be used to determine design parameters for a magnetic separation system, like maximum flow rate and minimum separation time, or to select suitable beads for fixed experimental requirements

Multiplex Detection of Different Magnetic Beads Using Frequency Scanning in Magnetic Frequency Mixing Technique

In modern bioanalytical methods, it is often desired to detect several targets in one sample within one measurement. Immunological methods including those that use superparamagnetic beads are an important group of techniques for these applications. The goal of this work is to investigate the feasibility of simultaneously detecting different superparamagnetic beads acting as markers using the magnetic frequency mixing technique. The frequency of the magnetic excitation field is scanned while the lower driving frequency is kept constant. Due to the particles’ nonlinear magnetization, mixing frequencies are generated. To record their amplitude and phase information, a direct digitization of the pickup-coil’s signal with subsequent Fast Fourier Transformation is performed. By synchronizing both magnetic fields, a stable phase information is gained. In this research, it is shown that the amplitude of the dominant mixing component is proportional to the amount of superparamagnetic beads inside a sample. Additionally, it is shown that the phase does not show this behaviour. Excitation frequency scans of different bead types were performed, showing different phases, without correlation to their diverse amplitudes. Two commercially available beads were selected and a determination of their amount in a mixture is performed as a demonstration for multiplex measurements

Frequency Mixing Magnetic Detection Setup Employing Permanent Ring Magnets as a Static Offset Field Source

Frequency mixing magnetic detection (FMMD) has been explored for its applications in fields of magnetic biosensing, multiplex detection of magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) and the determination of core size distribution of MNP samples. Such applications rely on the application of a static offset magnetic field, which is generated traditionally with an electromagnet. Such a setup requires a current source, as well as passive or active cooling strategies, which directly sets a limitation based on the portability aspect that is desired for point of care (POC) monitoring applications. In this work, a measurement head is introduced that involves the utilization of two ring-shaped permanent magnets to generate a static offset magnetic field. A steel cylinder in the ring bores homogenizes the field. By variation of the distance between the ring magnets and of the thickness of the steel cylinder, the magnitude of the magnetic field at the sample position can be adjusted. Furthermore, the measurement setup is compared to the electromagnet offset module based on measured signals and temperature behavior

Sensitive and rapid detection of cholera toxin subunit B using magnetic frequency mixing detection

Cholera is a life-threatening disease caused by the cholera toxin (CT) as produced by some Vibrio cholerae serogroups. In this research we present a method which directly detects the toxin’s B subunit (CTB) in drinking water. For this purpose we performed a magnetic sandwich immunoassay inside a 3D immunofiltration column. We used two different commercially available antibodies to capture CTB and for binding to superparamagnetic beads. ELISA experiments were performed to select the antibody combination. The beads act as labels for the magnetic frequency mixing detection technique. We show that the limit of detection depends on the type of magnetic beads. A nonlinear Hill curve was fitted to the calibration measurements by means of a custom-written python software. We achieved a sensitive and rapid detection of CTB within a broad concentration range from 0.2 ng/ml to more than 700 ng/ml

Multiplex Detection of Magnetic Beads Using Offset Field Dependent Frequency Mixing Magnetic Detection

Magnetic immunoassays employing Frequency Mixing Magnetic Detection (FMMD) have recently become increasingly popular for quantitative detection of various analytes. Simultaneous analysis of a sample for two or more targets is desirable in order to reduce the sample amount, save consumables, and save time. We show that different types of magnetic beads can be distinguished according to their frequency mixing response to a two-frequency magnetic excitation at different static magnetic offset fields. We recorded the offset field dependent FMMD response of two different particle types at frequencies f1 + n×f2, n = 1, 2, 3, 4 with f1 = 30.8 kHz and f2 = 63 Hz. Their signals were clearly distinguishable by the locations of the extremes and zeros of their responses. Binary mixtures of the two particle types were prepared with different mixing ratios. The mixture samples wereanalyzed by determining the best linear combination of the two pure constituents that best resembled the measured signals of the mixtures. Using a quadratic programming algorithm, the mixing ratioscould be determined with an accuracy of greater than 14%. If each particle type is functionalized with a different antibody, multiplex detection of two different analytes becomes feasible

Towards a dual-modality field-effect/magnetic immunosensor chip

Electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor (EIS) sensors are a promising platform for direct electrical detection of biomarkers by their intrinsic charge. However, their sensitivity is limited by screening of charges in solution with high ionic strength. Frequency mixing magnetic detection (FMMD) of magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) allows detecting biomarkers in physiological conditions. We aim at combining field-effect and magnetic detection techniques to overcome limitations of both methodologies