Platform

Our system presents benefits that are not always available with commonly used diagnostic tests which are antibody based. Our detection system is based on homologous recombination between pathogenic DNA and the repressor operon. This allows for sequence specific detection, and lends modularity to the device as well. In order to format the device for a different disease, new primers are designed for the target sequence, and the flanking homologous regions modified to match the new target sequence. In contrast, antibody based tests involved the time-consuming process of developing and producing a unique antibody to suit individual diseases. Our recombination-based system provides a more rapidly adaptable device that can be modified to detect any known pathogenic sequence.

The physical prototype can be adjusted to reflect which diseases are to be tested. For example, our device can test for three diseases that are often misdiagnosed as malaria, such as Typhoid Fever or Meningitis or other Target Diseases. However, if this device was targeting another region in which other diseases are more prevalent, our system has the ability to target these illnesses and differentiate between them. Additionally the number of chambers can change depending on region requirements and resources available. If a region requires the device to test between two illnesses the cost per unit will be slightly less than that of one testing for five. Although this cost will be very minor as it only requires additional detection chambers and tubing, if a large amount of tests are ordered this could be significant for some regions. Depending on location and the prevalence of different mindsets and diseases, our device can be manufactured to appropriately tailor it to the region of interest and effectively relieve human suffering contributed to misdiagnosis.

Through using Solidworks for fluid flow analysis we were able to model the PCR chamber and transport tubing of the device. It was determined that if the chambers were aligned radially and symmetrically, these angles would result in equal fluid distribution between the chambers. This means that the number of chambers can vary depending on the need of the region. The modularity of the device to adapt to different situations reflects the ability for this test to have global application. This device can be altered to have application in all areas with different levels of resources, testing for the target DNA of any living organism.

The current system and prototype is manufactured for developing nations and therefore the system is low-cost and economically feasible. When quantifying the system, a colour sensor and Arduino Uno microcontroller were used to detect the colour change and output it to an LCD display. If the need arose to use this system in areas where more resources are available, it is possible to use the digitalized device to link patient profiles to quantified results. Through code optimization and programming of the LCD display, it was possible to make a more complex digitized version of our device, resulting in the potential for a multi-tiered system for detecting diseases worldwide depending on the resources available.