Evaluation of two point of care technologies for measuring monoclonal antibody therapeutic-A concentrations in blood.

Aim: Current blood monitoring methods require sample collection and testing at a central lab, which can take days. Point of care (POC) devices with quick turnaround time can provide an alternative with faster results, allowing for real-time data leading to better treatment decisions for patients. Results/Methodology: An assay to measure monoclonal antibody therapeutic-A was developed on two POC devices. Data generated using 75 serum samples (65 clinical & ten spiked samples) show correlative results to the data generated using Gyrolab technology. Conclusion: This case study uses a monoclonal antibody therapeutic-A concentration assay as an example to demonstrate the potential of POC technologies as a viable alternative to central lab testing with quick results allowing for real-time decision-making.

Development of an IL-6 point-of-care assay: utility for real-time monitoring and management of cytokine release syndrome and sepsis.

Aim: Bedside or point-of-care testing (POCT) provides immediate results, allowing for rapid clinical decision making and management of critically ill patients. IL-6 is a central mediator in cytokine release syndrome and sepsis, two potentially life-threatening events. A real-time point-of-care measurement of IL-6 readily available in hospitals and/or to clinicians could provide a valuable tool for decision making. Materials & methods: An IL-6 assay is developed on a POCT device (Proxim, CA, USA), with comparison data measured by ELISA, Ella, and the Roche Cobas. Results: Samples evaluated on a Proxim POCT device showed good correlation with data from multiple platforms. Conclusions: An IL-6 point-of-care assay was developed as potential tool for rapid clinical decision making and management of patients with sepsis and/or cytokine release syndrome.

Bioinspired detection of light using a porphyrin-sensitized single-wall nanotube field effect transistor.

Single-wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) field effect transistors (FETs), functionalized noncovalently with a zinc porphyrin derivative, were used to directly detect a photoinduced electron transfer (PET) within a donor/acceptor (D/A) system. We report here that the SWNTs act as the electron donor and the porphyrin molecules as the electron acceptor. The magnitude of the PET was measured to be a function of both the wavelength and intensity of applied light, with a maximum value of 0.37 electrons per porphyrin for light at 420 nm and 100 W/m2. A complete understanding of the photophysics of this D/A system is necessary, as it may form the basis for applications in artificial photosynthesis and alternative energy sources such as solar cells.

Charge transfer from ammonia physisorbed on nanotubes.

We report the use of nanotube field-effect transistor devices for chemical sensing in a conducting liquid environment. Detection of ammonia occurs through the shift of the gate voltage dependence of the source-drain current. We attribute this shift to charge transfer from adsorbed ammonia molecules, with the amount of charge estimated to be as small as 40 electrons for the smallest shift detected. Using the concentration dependence of the response as an adsorption isotherm, we are able to measure the amount of charge transfer to be 0.04 electron per ammonia molecule.