US 12,461,031 B2
Pathogen detection using aptamer molecular photonic beacons
Najeeb Ashraf Khalid, Westmount (CA); and Naqeeb Khalid, Brampton (CA)
Filed by 4233999 CANADA INC., Westmount (CA)
Filed on Dec. 19, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/068,008.
Application 18/068,008 is a continuation of application No. PCT/CA2021/050869, filed on Jun. 24, 2021.
Application PCT/CA2021/050869 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/182,130, filed on Feb. 22, 2021, granted, now 11,053,556, issued on Jul. 6, 2021.
Application 17/182,130 is a continuation of application No. 17/026,138, filed on Sep. 18, 2020, granted, now 10,927,404, issued on Feb. 23, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/152,308, filed on Feb. 22, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/044,602, filed on Jun. 26, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0184679 A1, Jun. 15, 2023
Int. Cl. G01N 21/64 (2006.01); B01L 3/00 (2006.01); C12N 15/115 (2010.01); G01N 33/569 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 21/6428 (2013.01) [C12N 15/115 (2013.01); G01N 21/645 (2013.01); G01N 2021/6432 (2013.01); G01N 2021/6439 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for detecting a pathogen comprising:
adding a test subject sample fluid to a replaceable aptamer molecular photonic beacon test vial,
the test subject sample fluid comprising a solution of aptamer molecular photonic beacons and a carrier liquid medium, wherein the aptamer molecular photonic beacons are selected to bind to a protein, RNA or DNA of a target pathogen and further comprise a reporter molecule and a quencher molecule, the reporter molecule being operable to receive light and emit light after binding to the target pathogen, the binding modifying a configuration of the aptamer molecular photonic beacons from a quenched configuration, where the quencher molecule is in proximity with the reporter molecule, to an emitting configuration where the quencher molecule and the reporter molecule are separated, where molecules of the aptamer molecular photonic beacons have a stem sequence, a loop sequence, a fluorophore reporter as the reporter and the quencher in an unbound state in which the quencher is proximate the fluorophore reporter to prevent fluorescence, wherein the stem sequence selectively binds to the target pathogen to become in a bound state in which the quencher is remote from the fluorophore reporter to allow fluorescence, and an excitation wavelength of the fluorophore reporter is between about 450 nm and 470 nm;
aligning a camera and a flash light source of a mobile computing device with at least one aperture of a light proof enclosure of a testing device fixture, the flash light source of the mobile computing device being made of Light Emitting Diodes that have a fundamental light emission between 450 to 460 nm;
inserting the aptamer molecular photonic beacon test vial in a test vial receptacle of the testing device fixture;
detecting a presence of the target pathogen by:
operating the flash light of the mobile computing device to illuminate the solution in the vial to excite said reporter molecule;
acquiring at least one image of emission from the reporter molecule using the camera of the mobile computing device by causing the camera to capture an image of the replaceable aptamer molecular photonic beacon test vial to acquire the at least one image of emission from the reporter molecule; and
computing an infection status based on any emitted light from said reporter molecule bound to the target pathogen detected from the captured image; and
communicating the infection status to a user of the mobile computing device.