SPRING ELEMENT FOR ANALYZING AN ANALYTE

Abstract

A spring element is provided for analysis of the presence of an analyte in a sample. The spring element includes a flexible main body having a conductivity detector zone and a binding zone. The conductivity of the conductivity detector zone is determined by electronic tunneling, ionization or hopping processes, and the conductivity detector zone is formed from nanoparticles embedded in a matrix that have higher electrical conductivity compared to the matrix material. Moreover, the binding zone includes at least one binding molecule that binds to the analyte and is coupled to the main body.

Claims

1-24. (canceled)

25. A spring element for analyzing the presence of an analyte in a sample, comprising: a flexible main body having a conductivity detector zone and a binding zone, wherein a conductivity of the conductivity detector zone is determined by at least one of an electronic tunneling process, an ionization process and a hopping process, wherein the conductivity detector zone comprises nanoparticles embedded in a matrix that have a higher electrical conductivity compared to a material of the matrix material, and wherein the binding zone comprises at least one binding molecule that binds to the analyte and is coupled to the flexible main body.

26. The spring element as claimed in claim 25, wherein the binding module binds to viral antigens and is at least one antibody or antibody fragment.

27. The spring element as claimed in claim 25, wherein the binding module at least binds to viral antigens of coronaviruses.

28. The spring element as claimed in claim 27, wherein the viral antigens are antigens contained in a spike protein, an envelope protein, a membrane protein or a nucleocapsid protein.

29. The spring element as claimed in claim 26, wherein the at least one antibody is coupled to the main body by means at least one of avidin binding and streptavidin binding.

30. The spring element as claimed in claim 26, wherein the at least one antibody is an antibody biotinylated in the Fc domain.

31. The spring element as claimed in claim 25, wherein the at least one binding module is coupled covalently to the main body.

32. The spring element as claimed in claim 25, wherein the nanoparticles are metallic.

33. The spring element as claimed in claim 25, wherein the nanoparticles are at least one of Au nanoparticles, Pt nanoparticles and Cr nanoparticles.

34. The spring element as claimed in claim 25 wherein the matrix comprises an organic, inorganic or dielectric material.

35. The spring element as claimed in claim 25, wherein the spring element is configured such that binding of viral antigens to the binding module in the binding zone causes a change in the conductivity in the conductivity detector zone of the spring element.

36. The spring element as claimed in claim 25, wherein the spring element is configured such that binding of viral antigens to the binding module in the binding zone causes a change in a surface tension in the binding zone and the change in the surface tension in the binding zone causes a bending of the spring element.

37. The spring element as claimed in claim 25, wherein: the binding molecule comprises at least one of a single-strand DNA (ssDNA) and other DNA fragments that bind to DNA fragments in a sample, or in an inert spring element, binding molecules comprise at least one of single-strand DNA and other DNA fragments that do not bind to any chemical and/or biochemical and/or physical species in the sample, but match in characteristic parameters with the binding molecules of an activated spring element, or the binding molecule comprises at least one of a single-strand RNA and other RNA fragments that bind to RNA fragments in the sample, or in an inert spring element, binding molecules comprise at least one of a single-strand RNA and other RNA fragments that do not bind to any chemical and/or biochemical and/or physical species in the sample, but match in characteristic parameters with the binding molecules of an activated spring element, or the binding molecule comprises at least one of antibodies and proteins that specifically bind target proteins, or in an inert spring element, binding molecules comprise specific at least one of a isotype control antibodies and proteins that do not bind to any chemical and/or biochemical and/or physical species in the sample, or the binding module comprises scFv antibody components.

38. A device for detecting the presence of an analyte in a sample comprising: at least one spring element as claimed in claim 25; an electrical sensor configured to determine the conductivity of the conductivity detector zone of the spring element; and a comparator.

39. The device as claimed in claim 38, wherein the comparator is configured to compare an actual conductivity value of a spring element that is in contact with a medium with a predetermined target value, and further configured to infer a presence of the analyte in the medium from a variance between the actual value and a target value of the conductivity, and to transmit a corresponding signal to an output device.

40. A device for detecting an analyte, preferably viruses, comprising: at least one activated spring element having at least one binding molecule that binds to the analyte as claimed in claim 25; at least one inert spring element having no binding molecule that binds to the analyte; electrical sensors configured to determine the conductivity of the conductivity detector zones of the activated and inert spring elements; and at least one comparator.

41. The device as claimed in claim 40, wherein the comparator is configured to compare the conductivity of the activated and inert spring elements that are in contact with a medium with one another, and is further configured to infer a presence of the analyte in the medium from a variance in the conductivity of the activated and inert spring elements, and to transmit a corresponding signal to an output device.

42. The device as claimed in claim 41, wherein the activated and inert spring elements are interconnected in the form of a Wheatstone measurement bridge.

43. A device for detecting the presence of an analyte in a sample comprising: a microfluidic chip having: a region configured for reception of a liquid medium, at least one microfluidic channel configured to guide the liquid medium into at least one measurement chamber, at least one measurement chamber comprising at least one first spring element as claimed in claim 25 and a second spring element that does not comprise at least one binding molecule, and electrical contacts connected to the conductivity detector zones of the first and second spring elements.

44. A method of detecting a presence of an analyte in a sample containing the analyte, the method comprising: providing a flexible main body having a conductivity detector zone and a binding zone; and determining a conductivity of the conductivity detector zone by at least one of an electronic tunneling process, an ionization process and a hopping process, wherein the conductivity detector zone comprises nanoparticles embedded in a matrix that have a higher electrical conductivity compared to a material of the matrix material, and wherein the binding zone comprises at least one binding molecule that binds to the analyte and is coupled to the flexible main body.

45. The method as claimed in claim 44, wherein the sample comprises at least one of a human or animal bodily fluid, bodily excretion or a cell.

46. A method of detecting the presence of an analyte having an activated spring element as claimed in claim 25 and having an inert spring element that does not comprise any binding molecules, wherein the activated and inert spring elements are configured such that the binding of analytes present in the medium to the binding molecules of the activated spring element in the conductivity detector zone of the activated spring element causes a greater change in the conductivity than in the conductivity detector zone of the inert spring element by a presence of the medium but without the binding of an analyte, preferably of antigens, the comprising: contacting the activated spring element and the inert spring element with the medium to be tested; determining a difference in conductivity of the conductivity detector zones of the activated and inert spring elements; and determining the presence of the analyte in the medium to be tested.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0066] An exemplary embodiment is shown in the figure and is described in detail hereinafter.

[0067] FIG. 1(a) illustrates a spring element connected to an electrical sensor prior to binding of viruses to the spring element.

[0068] FIG. 1(b) illustrates a spring element connected to an electrical sensor after binding of viruses to the spring element.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0069] In the following, a description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the figures are presented. Elements that are the same, similar or have the same effect are given identical reference numbers in the different figures, and repeated description of these elements is avoided to a certain degree in order to avoid redundancy.

[0070] FIG. 1(a) shows a schematic diagram of the miniaturized spring element 1 with a flexible main body 2 having a conductivity detector zone 3 and a binding zone 4, wherein the electrical conductivity (σ) of the conductivity detector zone is determined by electronic tunneling, ionization or hopping processes, and wherein the conductivity detector zone is formed from nanoparticles embedded in a matrix that have higher electrical conductivity compared to the matrix material, and wherein the binding zone 4 comprises at least one binding molecule 5 that binds specifically to an analyte, preferably to viral antigens, and is coupled to the main body.

[0071] The conductivity detector zone is connected to an electrical sensor 6 for determining the conductivity of the conductivity detector zone 3.

[0072] The spring element 1 is configured such that binding of analytes, preferably of viral antigens 7, to the binding molecules 5 in the binding zone 4 brings about a change in the surface tension of the binding zone 4.

[0073] As shown in FIG. 1(b), the spring element 1 is configured such that the change in the surface tension of the binding zone brings about bending of the spring element 1. In addition, the spring element 1 is configured such that binding of an analyte, preferably of viral antigens 7, to the binding molecules 5 in the binding zone 4 brings about a change in the electrical conductivity of the conductivity detector zone 3. The conductivity of the conductivity detector zone 3 is determined with an electrical sensor 6. It is thus possible to determine binding of antigens 7 to binding molecules 5 by the determination of the electrical conductivity of the conductivity detector zone 3.

[0074] Although merely an illustrative embodiment has been disclosed in the preceding description, it is possible to undertake a wide variety of different changes and modifications thereto. The embodiment mentioned is merely an example and is not intended to restrict the scope of validity, applicability or configuration of the spring element in any way.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0075] 1 spring element [0076] 2 main body [0077] 3 conductivity detector zone [0078] 4 binding zone [0079] 5 binding molecule [0080] 6 electrical sensor [0081] 7 viral antigens