Charles Sternberg, Associate Editor02.01.22
Developing rapid clinical testing for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks after trauma, surgery, tumors, and other defects are vital, because such leaks can cause life-threatening conditions, such as meningitis and intercranial infection. However, detecting such leaks using primary conventional methods, such as immunofixation electrophoresis (IFE) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), require hours or days to turn around results. Even secondary methods, such as optical techniques that rely on MRI, often fail to identify the specific leak site.
In Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B by AIP Publishing, researchers from the University of Florida and Yang Ming-Chiao Tung University developed a single-use sensor strip that can be used with a circuit board, like a hand-held glucometer, to detect cerebrospinal fluid leaks.
"We were surprised to find out that our detection method could not only provide the result within one second, but our detection limit was also a lot more sensitive for a very diluted concentration than existing detection methods," said co-author Minghan Xian.
Once the test fluid was inserted into the liquid channel, a few short electrode pulses were sent through the electrodes. The circuit board then analyzed the signal and produced a four-digit number that correlates to the concentration of the protein, called beta-2-transferrin, found in CSF.
The researchers were able to detect beta-2-transferrin in the fluid sample even when other proteins and salts were present and from samples across different patients.
The researchers used similar technology to detect proteins in SARS-CoV2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Their next phase of research will focus on detecting various cancer and heart disease biomarkers.
The article "Digital biosensor for human cerebrospinal fluid detection with single-use sensing strips" is authored by Minghan Xian, Chan-Wen Chiu, Patrick Carey, Chaker Fares, Liya Chen, Rena Wu, Fan Ren, Cheng-Tse Tsai, Siang-Sin Shan, Yu-Te Liao, Josephine F. Esquivel-Upshaw, Stephen J. Pearton.
In Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B by AIP Publishing, researchers from the University of Florida and Yang Ming-Chiao Tung University developed a single-use sensor strip that can be used with a circuit board, like a hand-held glucometer, to detect cerebrospinal fluid leaks.
"We were surprised to find out that our detection method could not only provide the result within one second, but our detection limit was also a lot more sensitive for a very diluted concentration than existing detection methods," said co-author Minghan Xian.
How It Works
The researchers collected nine human clinical samples from a Florida hospital and introduced the test fluid into a small liquid channel on the tip of the sensor strips. The liquid channel held electrodes, which contained antibodies on the surface specific to proteins found only in human cerebrospinal fluid.Once the test fluid was inserted into the liquid channel, a few short electrode pulses were sent through the electrodes. The circuit board then analyzed the signal and produced a four-digit number that correlates to the concentration of the protein, called beta-2-transferrin, found in CSF.
The researchers were able to detect beta-2-transferrin in the fluid sample even when other proteins and salts were present and from samples across different patients.
The researchers used similar technology to detect proteins in SARS-CoV2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Their next phase of research will focus on detecting various cancer and heart disease biomarkers.
The article "Digital biosensor for human cerebrospinal fluid detection with single-use sensing strips" is authored by Minghan Xian, Chan-Wen Chiu, Patrick Carey, Chaker Fares, Liya Chen, Rena Wu, Fan Ren, Cheng-Tse Tsai, Siang-Sin Shan, Yu-Te Liao, Josephine F. Esquivel-Upshaw, Stephen J. Pearton.