7 research outputs found
Diverse Applications of Nanomedicine
The design and use of materials in the nanoscale size range for addressing medical and health-related issues continues to receive increasing interest. Research in nanomedicine spans a multitude of areas, including drug delivery, vaccine development, antibacterial, diagnosis and imaging tools, wearable devices, implants, high-throughput screening platforms, etc. using biological, nonbiological, biomimetic, or hybrid materials. Many of these developments are starting to be translated into viable clinical products. Here, we provide an overview of recent developments in nanomedicine and highlight the current challenges and upcoming opportunities for the field and translation to the clinic. \ua9 2017 American Chemical Society
Development of a Smartphone Based Point of Care Device for Multiplexed Infectious Disease Diagnosis
Infectious diseases are responsible for a significant portion of mortality and morbidity in the developing world, whose spread can be better controlled by using accurate diagnostic and epidemiological tools. Wireless multiplex point of care diagnostic devices can address the drawbacks of current gold standard diagnostic methods such as ELISA and PCR, while allowing for epidemiological data collection and use through geo-tagging and real-time disease tracking when coupled with cell-phones.
Existing cell-phone based point of care diagnostic devices lack sensitivity, portability or adequate multiplexing capabilities. Quantum dot microbead barcoding, Recombinase Polymerase Amplification and fluorescent microscopy are three technological platforms that have been shown through the work of Chan et al. to be ideal for multiplexed point of care detection when integrated with a smartphone. When consolidated with automated fluid handling and electricity-free precise temperature control, it can serve as a proof of concept for a point of care device for multiplexed genomic disease detection. The objective of this thesis is to develop and verify automated fluid handling, barcode readout and electricity-free precise temperature control for an integrated point of care DNA diagnostic platform. Chapter two covers the development and iteration of an approach to automated fluid handling for the quantum dot barcode assay. Chapter three covers the development and iteration of point-of-care quantum dot barcode readout and integration with the automated fluid handling module. Chapter four demonstrates an approach to reducing power consumption of the integrated device while allowing for electricity-free, precise and localized temperature control without damage to surrounding reagents.
The successful development and verification of the component modules required for a multiplexed diagnostic device represents a significant step towards the achievement of a consolidated universal point of care multiplex diagnostic device. Translation of this device through clinical validation and iterative design for manufacturing can allow for amelioration of the healthcare infrastructure in resource poor settings through better diagnostic workflows.Ph.D.2021-11-30 00:00:0
Simplifying Assays by Tableting Reagents
Medical
diagnostic assays provide exquisite sensitivity and precision
in the diagnoses of patients. However, these technologies often require
multiple steps, skilled technicians, and facilities to store heat-sensitive
reagents. Here, we developed a high-throughput compression method
to incorporate different assay components into color-coded tablets.
With our technique, premeasured quantities of reagents can be encapsulated
in compressed tablets. We show that tableting stabilizes heat-sensitive
reagents and simplifies a broad range of assays, including isothermal
nucleic acid amplification techniques, enzyme-based immunoassays,
and microbead diagnostics. To test the clinical readiness of this
tableting technology, we show the ability of tableted diagnostics
for screening hepatitis B-positive patient samples. Our development
simplifies complicated assays and the transportation of reagents and
mitigates the need for refrigeration of reagents. This advances the
use of complex assays in remote areas with limited infrastructure
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Patients, Here Comes More Nanotechnology.
We describe the current difference in reporting the performance of nanotechnology diagnostic devices between technologists and clinicians. This perspective specifies the "metrics" used to evaluate these devices and describes strategies to bridge the gap between these two communities in order to accelerate the translation from academic bench to the clinic. We use two recently published ACS Nano articles to highlight the evaluation of silicon nanowire and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy-breath diagnostic tests for patients afflicted with cancer and asthma. These studies represent some of the earliest studies of emerging nanotechnology devices utilizing clinical parameters to assess performance
Patients, Here Comes More Nanotechnology.
We describe the current difference in reporting the performance of nanotechnology diagnostic devices between technologists and clinicians. This perspective specifies the "metrics" used to evaluate these devices and describes strategies to bridge the gap between these two communities in order to accelerate the translation from academic bench to the clinic. We use two recently published ACS Nano articles to highlight the evaluation of silicon nanowire and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy-breath diagnostic tests for patients afflicted with cancer and asthma. These studies represent some of the earliest studies of emerging nanotechnology devices utilizing clinical parameters to assess performance