A comprehensive review on current COVID-19 detection methods: From Lab care to Point of care diagnosis

A sensitive and efficient method for microRNAs (miRNAs) detection is strongly desired by clinicians and, in recent years, the search for such a method has drawn much attention. There has been significant interest in using miRNA as biomarkers for multiple diseases and conditions in clinical diagnostics. Presently, most miRNA detection methods suffer from drawbacks, e.g., low sensitivity, long assay time, expensive equipment, trained personnel, or unsuitability for point-of-care. New methodologies are needed to overcome these limitations to allow rapid, sensitive, low-cost, easy-to-use, and portable methods for miRNA detection at the point of care. In this work, to overcome these shortcomings, we integrated capacitive sensing and alternating current electrokinetic effects to detect specific miRNA-16b molecules, as a model, with the limit of detection reaching 1.0 femto molar (fM) levels. The specificity of the sensor was verified by testing miRNA-25, which has the same length as miRNA-16b. The sensor we developed demonstrated significant improvements in sensitivity, response time and cost over other miRNA detection methods, and has application potential at point-of-care.

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Screening, Diagnostic and Prognostic Tests for COVID-19: A Comprehensive Review

Life ◽

10.3390/life11060561 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 561

Author(s):

Mariana Ulinici ◽

Serghei Covantev ◽

James Wingfield-Digby ◽

Apostolos Beloukas ◽

Alexander G. Mathioudakis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Point Of Care ◽

Standard Test ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Molecular Testing ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Diagnostic Screening ◽

Comprehensive Review ◽

Prognostic Tests ◽

Polymerase Chain ◽

Antigen Testing

While molecular testing with real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) remains the gold-standard test for COVID-19 diagnosis and screening, more rapid or affordable molecular and antigen testing options have been developed. More affordable, point-of-care antigen testing, despite being less sensitive compared to molecular assays, might be preferable for wider screening initiatives. Simple laboratory, imaging and clinical parameters could facilitate prognostication and triage. This comprehensive review summarises current evidence on the diagnostic, screening and prognostic tests for COVID-19.

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Optical-Based Biosensors and Their Portable Healthcare Devices for Detecting and Monitoring Biomarkers in Body Fluids

Diagnostics ◽

10.3390/diagnostics11071285 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 1285

Author(s):

Anh Tran Tam Pham ◽

Angus Wallace ◽

Xinyi Zhang ◽

Damian Tohl ◽

Hao Fu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medical Devices ◽

Point Of Care ◽

Body Fluids ◽

Optical Measurements ◽

Mobile Technologies ◽

Detection Methods ◽

Portable Devices ◽

Bodily Fluids ◽

Clinical Measurements ◽

Distinct Features

The detection and monitoring of biomarkers in body fluids has been used to improve human healthcare activities for decades. In recent years, researchers have focused their attention on applying the point-of-care (POC) strategies into biomarker detection. The evolution of mobile technologies has allowed researchers to develop numerous portable medical devices that aim to deliver comparable results to clinical measurements. Among these, optical-based detection methods have been considered as one of the common and efficient ways to detect and monitor the presence of biomarkers in bodily fluids, and emerging aggregation-induced emission luminogens (AIEgens) with their distinct features are merging with portable medical devices. In this review, the detection methodologies that use optical measurements in the POC systems for the detection and monitoring of biomarkers in bodily fluids are compared, including colorimetry, fluorescence and chemiluminescence measurements. The current portable technologies, with or without the use of smartphones in device development, that are combined with optical biosensors for the detection and monitoring of biomarkers in body fluids, are also investigated. The review also discusses novel AIEgens used in the portable systems for the detection and monitoring of biomarkers in body fluid. Finally, the potential of future developments and the use of optical detection-based portable devices in healthcare activities are explored.

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Respiratory viral infections in the elderly

Therapeutic Advances in Respiratory Disease ◽

10.1177/1753466621995050 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 ◽

pp. 175346662199505

Author(s):

Alastair Watson ◽

Tom M. A. Wilkinson

Keyword(s):

Immune System ◽

Viral Infections ◽

Point Of Care ◽

The Elderly ◽

Respiratory Viruses ◽

Morbidity And Mortality ◽

Detection Methods ◽

Respiratory Viral Infections ◽

Tract Infections ◽

Prolonged Hospital

With the global over 60-year-old population predicted to more than double over the next 35 years, caring for this aging population has become a major global healthcare challenge. In 2016 there were over 1 million deaths in >70 year olds due to lower respiratory tract infections; 13–31% of these have been reported to be caused by viruses. Since then, there has been a global COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused over 2.3 million deaths so far; increased age has been shown to be the biggest risk factor for morbidity and mortality. Thus, the burden of respiratory viral infections in the elderly is becoming an increasing unmet clinical need. Particular challenges are faced due to the interplay of a variety of factors including complex multimorbidities, decreased physiological reserve and an aging immune system. Moreover, their atypical presentation of symptoms may lead to delayed necessary care, prescription of additional drugs and prolonged hospital stay. This leads to morbidity and mortality and further nosocomial spread. Clinicians currently have limited access to sensitive detection methods. Furthermore, a lack of effective antiviral treatments means there is little incentive to diagnose and record specific non-COVID-19 viral infections. To meet this unmet clinical need, it is first essential to fully understand the burden of respiratory viruses in the elderly. Doing this through prospective screening research studies for all respiratory viruses will help guide preventative policies and clinical trials for emerging therapeutics. The implementation of multiplex point-of-care diagnostics as a mainstay in all healthcare settings will be essential to understand the burden of respiratory viruses, diagnose patients and monitor outbreaks. The further development of novel targeted vaccinations as well as anti-viral therapeutics and new ways to augment the aging immune system is now also essential. The reviews of this paper are available via the supplemental material section.

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Comprehensive review of the detection methods for synthetic cannabinoids and cathinones

Forensic Toxicology ◽

10.1007/s11419-015-0270-0 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 33 (2) ◽

pp. 175-194 ◽

Cited By ~ 107

Author(s):

Akira Namera ◽

Maho Kawamura ◽

Akihiro Nakamoto ◽

Takeshi Saito ◽

Masataka Nagao

Keyword(s):

Synthetic Cannabinoids ◽

Detection Methods ◽

Comprehensive Review

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Schistosomiasis: from established diagnostic assays to emerging micro/nanotechnology-based rapid field testing for clinical management and epidemiology

Precision Nanomedicine ◽

10.33218/prnano3(1).191205.1 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 439-458 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Maurice Mutro Nigo ◽

Georgette Salieb-Beugelaar ◽

Manuel Battegay ◽

Peter Odermatt ◽

Patrick Hunziker

Keyword(s):

Point Of Care ◽

Field Testing ◽

Detection Methods ◽

Low Grade ◽

Analytical Strategy ◽

Diagnostic Assays ◽

And Control ◽

Analytical Platforms ◽

Selection Of

Schistosomiasis is a neglected invasive worm disease with a huge disease burden in developing countries, particularly in children, and is seen increasingly in non-endemic regions through transfer by travellers, expatriates, and refugees. Undetected and untreated infections may be responsible for the persistence of transmission. Rapid and accurate diagnosis is the key to treatment and control. So far, parasitological detection methods remain the cornerstone of Schistosoma infection diagnosis in endemic regions, but conventional tests have limited sensitivity, in particular in low-grade infection. Recent advances contribute to improved detection in clinical and field settings. The recent progress in micro- and nanotechnologies opens a road by enabling the design of new miniaturized point-of-care devices and analytical platforms, which can be used for the rapid detection of these infections. This review starts with an overview of currently available laboratory tests and their performance and then discusses emerging rapid and micro/nanotechnologies-based tools. The epidemiological and clinical setting of testing is then discussed as an important determinant for the selection of the best analytical strategy in patients suspected to suffer from Schistosoma infection. Finally, it discusses the potential role of advanced technologies in the setting near to disease eradication is examined.

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Multiplexed Detection of Sepsis Markers in Whole Blood using Nanocomposite Coated Electrochemical Sensors

10.1101/2020.11.03.20224683 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Uroš Zupančič ◽

Pawan Jolly ◽

Pedro Estrela ◽

Despina Moschou ◽

Donald E. Ingber

Keyword(s):

Electrochemical Detection ◽

Whole Blood ◽

Electrochemical Sensors ◽

Point Of Care ◽

Sample Volume ◽

Nanocomposite Coating ◽

Cross Reactivity ◽

Detection Methods ◽

Clinical Samples ◽

Undiluted Serum

ABSTRACTSepsis is a leading cause of mortality worldwide that is difficult to diagnose and manage because this requires simultaneous analysis of multiple biomarkers. Electrochemical detection methods could potentially provide a way to accurately quantify multiple sepsis biomarkers in a multiplexed manner as they have very low limits of detection and require minimal sensor instrumentation; however, affinity-based electrochemical sensors are usually hampered by biological fouling. Here we describe development of an electrochemical detection platform that enables detection of multiple sepsis biomarkers simultaneously by incorporating a recently developed nanocomposite coating composed of crosslinked bovine serum albumin containing a network of reduced graphene oxide nanoparticles that prevents biofouling. Using nanocomposite coated planar gold electrodes, we constructed a procalcitonin sensor and demonstrated sensitive PCT detection in undiluted serum and clinical samples, as well as excellent correlation with a conventional ELISA (adjusted r2 = 0.95). Sensors for two additional sepsis biomarkers — C-reactive protein and pathogen-associated molecular patterns — were developed on the same multiplexed platform and tested in whole blood. Due to the excellent antifouling properties of the nanocomposite coating, all three sensors exhibited specific responses within the clinically significant range without any cross-reactivity in the same channel with low sample volume. This platform enables sensitive simultaneous electrochemical detection of multiple analytes in human whole blood, which can be expanded further to any target analyte with an appropriate antibody pair or capturing probe, and thus, may offer a potentially valuable tool for development of clinical point-of-care diagnostics.GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

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Advances in Foodborne Pathogen Analysis

Foods ◽

10.3390/foods9111635 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (11) ◽

pp. 1635

Author(s):

Arun K. Bhunia ◽

Bledar Bisha ◽

Andrew G. Gehring ◽

Byron F. Brehm-Stecher

Keyword(s):

Point Of Care ◽

Foodborne Pathogen ◽

Test Methods ◽

Detection Methods ◽

World Population ◽

Future Production ◽

Dietary Choices ◽

Critical Issues ◽

User Friendly ◽

Face Time

As the world population has grown, new demands on the production of foods have been met by increased efficiencies in production, from planting and harvesting to processing, packaging and distribution to retail locations. These efficiencies enable rapid intranational and global dissemination of foods, providing longer “face time” for products on retail shelves and allowing consumers to make healthy dietary choices year-round. However, our food production capabilities have outpaced the capacity of traditional detection methods to ensure our foods are safe. Traditional methods for culture-based detection and characterization of microorganisms are time-, labor- and, in some instances, space- and infrastructure-intensive, and are therefore not compatible with current (or future) production and processing realities. New and versatile detection methods requiring fewer overall resources (time, labor, space, equipment, cost, etc.) are needed to transform the throughput and safety dimensions of the food industry. Access to new, user-friendly, and point-of-care testing technologies may help expand the use and ease of testing, allowing stakeholders to leverage the data obtained to reduce their operating risk and health risks to the public. The papers in this Special Issue on “Advances in Foodborne Pathogen Analysis” address critical issues in rapid pathogen analysis, including preanalytical sample preparation, portable and field-capable test methods, the prevalence of antibiotic resistance in zoonotic pathogens and non-bacterial pathogens, such as viruses and protozoa.

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Biosensors for the Detection of Bacterial and Viral Clinical Pathogens

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s20236926 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (23) ◽

pp. 6926

Author(s):

Luis Castillo-Henríquez ◽

Mariana Brenes-Acuña ◽

Arianna Castro-Rojas ◽

Rolando Cordero-Salmerón ◽

Mary Lopretti-Correa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quantum Dots ◽

New Technologies ◽

Point Of Care ◽

Graphene Quantum Dots ◽

Electrospun Nanofibers ◽

Comprehensive Review ◽

Measurement Devices ◽

Clinical Pathogens ◽

And Performance ◽

The One

Biosensors are measurement devices that can sense several biomolecules, and are widely used for the detection of relevant clinical pathogens such as bacteria and viruses, showing outstanding results. Because of the latent existing risk of facing another pandemic like the one we are living through due to COVID-19, researchers are constantly looking forward to developing new technologies for diagnosis and treatment of infections caused by different bacteria and viruses. Regarding that, nanotechnology has improved biosensors’ design and performance through the development of materials and nanoparticles that enhance their affinity, selectivity, and efficacy in detecting these pathogens, such as employing nanoparticles, graphene quantum dots, and electrospun nanofibers. Therefore, this work aims to present a comprehensive review that exposes how biosensors work in terms of bacterial and viral detection, and the nanotechnological features that are contributing to achieving a faster yet still efficient COVID-19 diagnosis at the point-of-care.

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Electrochemical DNA Detection Methods to Measure Circulating Tumour DNA for Enhanced Diagnosis and Monitoring of Cancer

Proceedings ◽

10.3390/iecb2020-07067 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 60 (1) ◽

pp. 15

Author(s):

Bukola Attoye ◽

Matthew Baker ◽

Chantevy Pou ◽

Fiona Thomson ◽

Damion K. Corrigan

Keyword(s):

Point Of Care ◽

Low Cost ◽

Detection Methods ◽

Clinical Samples ◽

Label Free ◽

Ambient Conditions ◽

Liquid Biopsies ◽

Current Time ◽

Electrochemical Approach ◽

Label Free Detection

Liquid biopsies are becoming increasingly important as a potential replacement for existing biopsy procedures which can be invasive, painful and compromised by tumour heterogeneity. This paper reports a simple electrochemical approach tailored towards point-of-care cancer detection and treatment monitoring from biofluids using a label-free detection strategy. The mutations under test were the KRAS G12D and G13D mutations, which are both important in the development and progression of many human cancers and which have a presence that correlates with poor outcomes. These common circulating tumour markers were investigated in clinical samples and amplified by standard and specialist PCR methodologies for subsequent electrochemical detection. Following pre-treatment of the sensor to present a clean surface, DNA probes developed specifically for detection of the KRAS G12D and G13D mutations were immobilized onto low-cost carbon electrodes using diazonium chemistry and 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride/N-hydroxysuccinimide coupling. Following the functionalisation of the sensor, it was possible to sensitively and specifically detect a mutant KRAS G13D PCR product against a background of wild-type KRAS DNA from the representative cancer sample. Our findings give rise to the basis of a simple and very low-cost system for measuring ctDNA biomarkers in patient samples. The current time to result of the system was 3.5 h with considerable scope for optimisation, and it already compares favourably to the UK National Health Service biopsy service where patients can wait weeks for their result. This paper reports the technical developments we made in the production of consistent carbon surfaces for functionalisation, assay performance data for KRAS G13D and detection of PCR amplicons under ambient conditions.

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