DETECHIP®: An Improved Molecular Sensing Array

Abstract

DETECHIP ® is a novel, highly selective and sensitive molecular sensor array producing color and fluorescence changes in the presence of many small molecules or analytes. This technology utilizes an array of eight sensors in two types of buffers that are dispensed in a 96-well plate. Color and fluorescent changes in the presence of analytes are recorded as a 32 digit binary code that is able to discriminate many substances. The current application is dedicated to testing narcotics such as cocaine, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) from marijuana, as well as daterape and club drugs such as flunitrazepam, gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), and methamphetamine, to name a few. Shown to be a contactless, portable, and inexpensive optical detection system, DETECHIP ® can detect many substances and therefore can be used where a high degree of preliminary diagnostics is needed.Besides narcotics, DETECHIP ® is able to detect and discriminate over-the-counter medications, trinitrotoluene (TNT), pesticides, food spoilage metabolites, and narcotics laced with cutting agents. DETECHIP ® offers possibilities for a simple, sensitive, selective, and affordable alternative to costly immunoassays.

Porous polymer coatings as substrates for the formation of high-fidelity micropatterns by quill-like pens

“…This avenue should be followed further by the generation of sensor arrays aiming at more than one analyte and preferably incorporation into microfluidic systems for the delivery of analyte solutions under controlled conditions. This would open the door for the miniaturization of array sensor platforms like DETECHIP [14–15] and make them less expensive and more compatible with in-field applications.…”

Improved Image Analysis of DETECHIP® Allows for Increased Specificity in Drug Discrimination

“…As described in previously published work [5], control wells and analyte wells are compared to each other for color changes through visual inspection by five individuals, or readers. Changes are assigned a ‘1’ while instances where the control and analyte wells appear identical are assigned a ‘0’ for no change.…”

Digital Image Analysis for Detechip Code Determination

“…Unlike other color tests, which result in a single ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response intended to signify that a functional group is present, e.g. the amino group of a narcotic [3, 12], DETECHIP ® provides many simultaneous responses, allowing users to quickly characterize and identify suspect materials by assembling a unique, substance specific, binary code composed of ‘1’ and ‘0’. In this code, ‘1’ represents a change in color or fluorescence, while ‘0’ represents no change.…”

“…Affording individual codes for the multitude of compounds listed in Table 1, DETECHIP ® has the unique ability to detect and discriminate substances in many difference classes: over-the-counter (OTC) medications, explosives, pesticides, food spoilage metabolites, drugs laced with cutting agents, and various other organic molecules [1–4, 12]. …”

“…Although the original DETECHIP ® format employed both color and fluorescent changes to produce a 32-digit binary code [1, 2, 12], using image analysis will eliminate the fluorescence aspect of DETECHIP ® . The code will therefore rely solely on the interpretation of color changes to produce a now 16-digit binary code.…”