Portable Olfactory Sensor Designed for Diagnosis of Bacteria
By LabMedica International staff writers Posted on 22 Jan 2018 |
A portable electronic "nose" (eNose) has been designed to rapidly detect and identify the most common bacteria causing soft tissue infections.
Rapid diagnosis of wound infections is based on bacterial stains, cultures, and polymerase chain reaction assays, and the results are available after several hours at the earliest, but more often not until after days of waiting. Therefore, antibiotic treatment is often administered empirically without a specific diagnosis.
To rectify this situation, a team of Finish bioengineers developed eNose, a device able to produce "an olfactory profile" for each molecular compound in gaseous headspace created by bacterial infection. The profile was analyzed by a computer programmed to differentiate between different compounds.
The investigators used the eNose system for a proof-of-concept study aimed at differentiating the most relevant bacteria causing wound infections. The study utilized a set of clinical bacterial cultures on identical blood culture dishes, and established bacterial lines from the gaseous headspace.
Results revealed that the eNose system was capable of differentiating both methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Streptococcus pyogenes, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Clostridium perfringens with an accuracy of 78% within minutes without prior sample preparation. Most importantly, the system was capable of differentiating MRSA from MSSA with a sensitivity of 83%, a specificity of 100%, and an overall accuracy of 91%.
"Our aim was to create a method for the rapid diagnosis of soft tissue infections. If we had such a method, treatment could be started in a timely manner and targeted to the relevant pathogen directly. This would reduce the need for empirical treatments and shorten diagnostic delays," said first author Dr. Taavi Saviauk, a researcher in the faculty of medicine and life sciences at the University of Tampere (Finland). "The portable eNose device we used does not require laboratory conditions or special training, so it is well suited for outpatient use. The results of this study are a significant step towards our goal."
The eNose study was published in the January 2018 issue of the journal European Surgical Research.
Related Links:
University of Tampere
Rapid diagnosis of wound infections is based on bacterial stains, cultures, and polymerase chain reaction assays, and the results are available after several hours at the earliest, but more often not until after days of waiting. Therefore, antibiotic treatment is often administered empirically without a specific diagnosis.
To rectify this situation, a team of Finish bioengineers developed eNose, a device able to produce "an olfactory profile" for each molecular compound in gaseous headspace created by bacterial infection. The profile was analyzed by a computer programmed to differentiate between different compounds.
The investigators used the eNose system for a proof-of-concept study aimed at differentiating the most relevant bacteria causing wound infections. The study utilized a set of clinical bacterial cultures on identical blood culture dishes, and established bacterial lines from the gaseous headspace.
Results revealed that the eNose system was capable of differentiating both methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Streptococcus pyogenes, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Clostridium perfringens with an accuracy of 78% within minutes without prior sample preparation. Most importantly, the system was capable of differentiating MRSA from MSSA with a sensitivity of 83%, a specificity of 100%, and an overall accuracy of 91%.
"Our aim was to create a method for the rapid diagnosis of soft tissue infections. If we had such a method, treatment could be started in a timely manner and targeted to the relevant pathogen directly. This would reduce the need for empirical treatments and shorten diagnostic delays," said first author Dr. Taavi Saviauk, a researcher in the faculty of medicine and life sciences at the University of Tampere (Finland). "The portable eNose device we used does not require laboratory conditions or special training, so it is well suited for outpatient use. The results of this study are a significant step towards our goal."
The eNose study was published in the January 2018 issue of the journal European Surgical Research.
Related Links:
University of Tampere
Latest Microbiology News
- Integrated Solution Ushers New Era of Automated Tuberculosis Testing
- Automated Sepsis Test System Enables Rapid Diagnosis for Patients with Severe Bloodstream Infections
- Enhanced Rapid Syndromic Molecular Diagnostic Solution Detects Broad Range of Infectious Diseases
- Clinical Decision Support Software a Game-Changer in Antimicrobial Resistance Battle
- New CE-Marked Hepatitis Assays to Help Diagnose Infections Earlier
- 1 Hour, Direct-From-Blood Multiplex PCR Test Identifies 95% of Sepsis-Causing Pathogens
- Mouth Bacteria Test Could Predict Colon Cancer Progression
- Unique Metabolic Signature Could Enable Sepsis Diagnosis within One Hour of Blood Collection
- Groundbreaking Diagnostic Platform Provides AST Results With Unprecedented Speed
- Simple Blood Test Combined With Personalized Risk Model Improves Sepsis Diagnosis
- Blood Analysis Predicts Sepsis and Organ Failure in Children
- TB Blood Test Could Detect Millions of Silent Spreaders
- New Blood Test Cuts Diagnosis Time for Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Infections from Months to Hours
- New Tuberculosis Test to Expand Testing Access in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
- Rapid Test Diagnoses Tropical Disease within Hours for Faster Antibiotics Treatment
- Rapid Molecular Testing Enables Faster, More Targeted Antibiotic Treatment for Pneumonia