KR20230019317A - Device for prevention of epidemics using disposable cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

The disclosed invention relates to a device for prevention of epidemics, which comprises: a collecting unit that collects and concentrates droplets in the air or inserts a collected sample; a disposable cartridge-type reaction unit that receives the sample prepared in the collecting unit and sequentially processes the sample with a plurality of reagents; and a detection unit that detects the virus in a non-contact manner with respect to the sample finally processed in the reaction unit.

Description

Disposable cartridge-type quarantine device {DEVICE FOR PREVENTION OF EPIDEMICS USING DISPOSABLE CARTRIDGE}

The present invention relates to a disposable cartridge type quarantine device, and more particularly, to a quarantine device that can accurately detect in real time whether or not a virus is floating in the air of a multi-use facility and uses a disposable cartridge for detecting viruses.

Currently, the world is suffering from a pandemic caused by COVID-19. Historically, mankind has experienced several pandemics, but due to the development of transportation, global population movement, and high population density, pandemics in modern society are at a level never before experienced in terms of scope and speed of spread. is reaching

In the end, the current pandemic situation will end someday, but since the cycle of viral infections worldwide is getting shorter, a systematic and scientific response must now be established.

Infections caused by viruses such as COVID-19 are aggravated into a pandemic situation by the occurrence of infection clusters in which group infections occur on a large scale. many.

Currently, when a confirmed case occurs among users of a multi-use facility, the actual status of infection is investigated by tracing the movement. The technology for managing the facility itself in terms of quarantine is not well known.

In other words, in a situation where a pandemic caused by a virus such as COVID-19 is serious both at home and abroad, it is possible to actually check the droplet spread of the virus in real time and determine the removal of the virus in real time for a closed indoor space where many people live. Furthermore, if a system that can check the presence or absence of viruses in the indoor space after quarantine is developed, it will be able to play a major role in managing group infections.

Korean Registered Patent No. 10-2005324 (registered on July 24, 2019)

An object of the present invention is to provide a quarantine device capable of checking the spread of virus droplets and the presence of viruses in real time in a closed indoor space where many people live.

The quarantine device according to the present invention includes a collection unit that collects and concentrates droplets in the air or inserts a collected sample; Cartridge type reaction unit; and a detection unit that detects the virus in a non-contact manner with respect to the specimen finally processed in the reaction unit.

And, it may include a cartridge supply unit for accommodating a plurality of disposable cartridges and supplying the disposable cartridges to the reaction unit one by one.

In addition, the reaction unit may include a waste unit accommodating the discharged disposable cartridge after use is complete, and may further include the collection unit or disposal unit, or a sterilization unit for sterilizing the collection unit and the disposal unit.

In addition, the collecting unit collects droplets in the air using at least one of a mechanical fan, electric force, electrostatic force, and electromagnetic force, and concentrates the droplets using at least one of liquid phase concentration, adsorption, and membrane separation to prepare a sample. can do.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the disposable cartridge included in the reaction unit includes an upper cell including a sample input unit and a plurality of reagent cells each accommodating a plurality of reagents, and is located below the upper cell, and extracts A lower cell including a cell, a washing cell, and at least one reaction cell and a detection cell, and a reagent channel connecting the plurality of reagent cells to corresponding lower cells, respectively, an upper portion of the lower cell is provided with a transfer channel that connects to an adjacent lower cell in the next order.

In addition, a crushing protrusion for facilitating extraction may be provided on a sidewall of the extraction cell, and a heat dissipation protrusion for increasing a heat transfer area may be provided at a lower portion of the reaction cell.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the disposable cartridge corresponds to a PCR amplification method, and a lysis reagent, a washing reagent, an amplification reagent, and a detection reagent may be sequentially accommodated in the plurality of reagent cells.

Alternatively, in another embodiment of the present invention, the disposable cartridge corresponds to the gene editing method, and the plurality of reagent cells may sequentially contain a lysis reagent, a washing reagent, a CRISPR protein complex, and a detection reagent, respectively. .

Alternatively, in another embodiment of the present invention, the disposable cartridge corresponds to an immune response, and a lysis reagent and a washing reagent are sequentially accommodated in the plurality of reagent cells, and an immunoreaction strip is provided in the detection cell. can

The detection unit may include an ultraviolet light source for irradiating ultraviolet light to the detection cell and an image sensor for photographing the detection cell.

Meanwhile, in one embodiment of the present invention, the disposable cartridge included in the reaction unit is composed of a well plate having a plurality of cells in a row, and the reaction unit supplies beads and a plurality of reagents to corresponding cells of the well plate. A reagent supply unit for supplying and an electromagnet for moving the beads to the next cell may be provided.

And, it may include a communication unit for transmitting the information measured by the detection unit to a server designated in advance.

In addition, the quarantine device of the present invention creates a map of the indoor space and estimates the prediction information for the diffusion trend based on the driving unit that performs autonomous driving and the detection information acquired at a specific point on the map It may further include a prediction unit that does.

The quarantine device of the present invention having the above configuration provides a quarantine device capable of checking the spread of virus droplets and the presence of viruses in real time in a closed indoor space where many people live. Accordingly, by using real-time detection information to predict the current spread situation and future spread trend, it helps to perform effective and three-dimensional quarantine by utilizing resources more efficiently.

In addition, since the quarantine device of the present invention can be automated so that little human hands are required, the risk of virus exposure that always follows quarantine personnel can be significantly reduced.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the detailed description below.

1 is a view showing the overall configuration of a quarantine device according to the present invention.
Fig. 2 shows one embodiment of a disposable cartridge used in the present invention.
3 is a view explaining a method of using a disposable cartridge;
4 is a view showing an example of constructing a reaction unit by applying a well plate as a disposable cartridge;
5 is a view showing another embodiment of the quarantine device of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Advantages and features of the present invention, and methods for achieving them, will become clear with reference to the embodiments described below in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but may be implemented in various different forms, and only the present embodiments make the disclosure of the present invention complete, and common knowledge in the art to which the present invention belongs. It is provided to fully inform the holder of the scope of the invention, and the present invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. Like reference numbers designate like elements throughout the specification.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in this specification may be used in a meaning commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. In addition, terms defined in commonly used dictionaries are not interpreted ideally or excessively unless explicitly specifically defined. Terms used in this specification are for describing embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. In this specification, singular forms also include plural forms unless specifically stated otherwise in a phrase.

As used herein, "comprise" and/or "comprising" means that a stated component, step, operation, and/or element is one or more other components, steps, operations, and/or elements. Existence or additions are not excluded.

1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a quarantine device 10 according to the present invention, and the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The quarantine device 10 according to the present invention basically includes a collection unit 100, a reaction unit 200, and a detection unit 500.

The collecting unit 100 is a configuration in which droplets in the air are collected and concentrated, or a collected sample is inserted. Here, collecting and concentrating droplets in the air corresponds to the case where they are automatically performed, and in addition to this, manual collection in which a sample is collected from an object or human body and then inserted is also possible.

In particular, droplets floating in the air can be automatically collected using at least one of a mechanical fan, electric force, electrostatic force, and electromagnetic force. This can be seen as a configuration similar to a dust collector, and in this regard, there are a number of known prior arts such as Patent Document 1.

In addition, even if the virus is contained in droplets collected from the air, the amount is insignificant and may not reach the minimum detection concentration, so it is necessary to concentrate it for accurate measurement. For example, a sample having a sufficient detection concentration can be prepared by concentrating droplets using at least one of liquid phase concentration, adsorption, and membrane separation. Liquid phase concentration, adsorption, or membrane separation can eventually be said to be a method of increasing the concentration by concentrating viruses in a limited space, and since there are many known prior arts, detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

The reaction unit 200 is a component that receives the sample finally prepared in the collection unit 100 and converts the virus into a detectable state by sequentially processing the delivered sample with a plurality of reagents. In particular, the present invention is characterized by configuring the reaction unit 200 in a disposable cartridge method. The structure of the reaction unit 200 can be simplified by configuring the reaction unit 200 in a cartridge type that is used once and then discarded, and contamination problems caused by repeated virus exposure can be effectively prevented. The disposable cartridge method is described in detail in the corresponding paragraph.

In addition, the detection unit 500 refers to a configuration for detecting viruses in a non-contact manner in the specimen finally processed in the reaction unit 200. Since the reaction unit 200 is configured in a disposable cartridge type, it is preferable that the detection unit 500 is configured in a non-contact type corresponding thereto. In particular, in the present invention, the detection unit 500 is configured optically, and the ultraviolet light source 510 irradiates ultraviolet light so that the specimen finally processed in the reaction unit 200 causes a fluorescence reaction, and the specimen causing the fluorescence reaction is imaged. The detector 500 may be configured to quantitatively measure with the sensor 520 .

And, as the reaction unit 200 is configured in a disposable cartridge method, a cartridge supply unit 600 that accommodates a plurality of disposable cartridges 300 and supplies the disposable cartridges 300 to the reaction unit 200 one by one can do. In addition, in response to this, by including a waste unit 700 accommodating the disposable cartridge 300 discharged after being used in the reaction unit 200, the quarantine device 10 of the present invention is separated for a certain time or number of times. It may be desirable to be able to perform repeated virus detections automatically without the need for dissemination or management of the virus.

In addition, the collection unit 100 and/or the waste unit 700, which are easily exposed to viruses, may also include a sterilization unit 800 that disinfects internal pipes. By disinfecting elements with a high risk of virus exposure in the quarantine device 10, detection errors due to virus contamination or the risk of the quarantine device 10 deteriorating into an infection source can be prevented.

2 shows one embodiment of a disposable cartridge 300 used in the present invention. According to the illustrated embodiment, in the disposable cartridge 300 included in the reaction unit 200, a plurality of cells form a row at the top and bottom, respectively.

The upper cell 310 disposed above the disposable cartridge 300 includes a sample input unit 312 and a plurality of reagent cells 314 accommodating a plurality of reagents, respectively. The sample inlet 312 forms an inlet through which the sample prepared in the collecting unit 100 is supplied, and reagents corresponding to a series of processes for processing the sample are provided in each of the plurality of reagent cells 314 . The sample input unit 312 and the plurality of reagent cells 314 constituting the upper cell 310 are separated from each other.

And, the lower cell 320 positioned below the upper cell 310 includes an extraction cell 322, a washing cell 324, and at least one reaction cell 326 and a detection cell 328. The lower cell 320 is provided to correspond to the upper cell 310 and forms a reaction space for processing a specimen. For example, the extraction cell 322 forms a space in which the specimen supplied through the specimen inlet 312 of the upper cell 310 is accommodated, and the washing cell 324 is a space in which nucleic acid extracted from the specimen is washed. As in the case of providing, necessary sample processing is performed according to the plurality of reagent cells 314 .

In addition, the plurality of reagent cells 314 are connected to corresponding lower cells 320 through reagent channels 330, respectively, and the lower cells 320 in the next order adjacent to the upper portion of the lower cells 320 and A transfer channel 332 connecting them is provided. This will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 3 .

Meanwhile, the lower cell 320 may further include ancillary components for facilitating a necessary treatment or reaction. For example, a crushing protrusion 323 for facilitating extraction may be provided on the sidewall of the extraction cell 322, and a heat dissipation protrusion 327 for increasing the heat transfer area at the bottom of the reaction cell 326 requiring temperature control. ) may be provided. The crushing protrusion 323 is provided to apply a physical impact, and the heat dissipation protrusion 327 is provided to facilitate the transfer of heat generated from a heating element (eg, a Peltier element) for controlling temperature.

Here, in the disposable cartridge 300, the number of reagent cells 314, the type of reagent accommodated in the disposable cartridge 300, and the number of lower cells 320 corresponding to the upper cells 310 may vary according to the method of processing the sample. there is. 3 shows an example of such a disposable cartridge 300, and the configuration of the upper cell 310 and the lower cell 320 shown in the figure may be modified.

However, even if there are various sample processing methods, in most cases, the first processing consists of extracting the nucleic acid contained in the virus. Therefore, it can be said that, in order to extract nucleic acids, the lysis reagent for dissolving the virus and the washing reagent for washing the extracted nucleic acids are generally placed first.

The disposable cartridge 300 has the following configuration and can correspond to various specimen processing methods.

If the disposable cartridge 300 corresponds to the PCR amplification method, a lysis reagent, a washing reagent, an amplification reagent, and a detection reagent may be sequentially accommodated in the plurality of reagent cells 314 .

Alternatively, if the disposable cartridge 300 corresponds to the gene editing method, the plurality of reagent cells 314 may sequentially accommodate a lysis reagent, a washing reagent, a CRISPR protein complex, and a detection reagent, respectively. For reference, the CRISPR protein complex is composed of a site that recognizes a specific DNA sequence as gene scissors and a nuclease that cuts the recognized site. The core function of genetic scissors is to find a specific DNA sequence through a guide RNA that complementarily matches the target sequence designated to be recognized by the genetic scissors, recognize the protospacer-adjacent motif, and cut the exact location.

Alternatively, if the disposable cartridge 300 corresponds to an immune response, a lysis reagent and a washing reagent are sequentially accommodated in the plurality of reagent cells 314, and an immunoreaction strip may be provided in the detection cell 328. there is. The label displayed on the immunoreaction strip can also be quantitatively measured using the ultraviolet light source 510 and the image sensor 520.

3 is a diagram illustrating a method of using a disposable cartridge 300 .

The sample supplied from the collection unit 100 is accommodated in the extraction cell 322 of the lower cell 320 through the sample inlet 312 of the upper cell 310. Thereafter, when pressure is applied to a reagent accommodated in the first reagent cell 314 of the upper cell 310, for example, a lysis reagent, the inclined reagent channel 330 connecting the extraction cell 322 and the reagent cell 314 is opened. Through this, the lysis reagent is introduced into the extraction cell 322. Next, a physical movement such as shaking or vibrating the disposable cartridge 300 is caused so that the sample contained in the extraction cell 322 reacts with the lysis reagent to sufficiently extract nucleic acids. When the extraction is completed, the disposable cartridge 300 ) is rotated to pass the sample to the next lower cell 320, that is, the washing cell 324 through the transfer channel 332.

Thereafter, the process of injecting reagents (eg, washing reagents after lysis reagents) of the next reagent cell 314, causing sufficient reaction, and then transferring the reagents to the next lower cell 320 may be repeated. Finally, all processed specimens are transferred to the last detection cell 328 of the lower cell 320, and the specimen contained in the detection cell 328 is quantitatively analyzed through the detection unit 500 in a non-contact manner.

Meanwhile, FIG. 4 shows an example of configuring the reaction unit 200 by applying a more simplified well plate 400 as a disposable cartridge 300 .

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 , the disposable cartridge 300 is composed of a well plate 400 having a plurality of cells arranged in a row, and the reaction unit 200 includes beads and beads in corresponding cells of the well plate 400. A reagent supply unit 410 for supplying a plurality of reagents and an electromagnet 420 for moving beads to the next cell are provided. That is, the well plate 400 includes a plurality of cells forming a reaction space, and various reagents necessary for the reaction are supplied to each cell through the reagent supply unit 410 . The type of reagent is determined according to the detection method, which can be referred to the type of reagent described in the PCR amplification method, gene editing method, and immune reaction method described above.

However, since the well plate 400 simply provides a reaction space, a means for transferring the sample that has been processed in each step to the next cell is required, and for this purpose, beads and an electromagnet 420 are provided. The beads are attached to the electromagnet 420 according to the operation of the electromagnet 420 as a magnetic material. The sample is attached to the bead, and by moving the electromagnet 420 up, down, left and right, and controlling the magnetic force on/off, the sample is moved between cells while being attached to the bead.

And, FIG. 5 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the quarantine device 10 of the present invention. The embodiment shown in FIG. 5 is prepared to more effectively utilize the quarantine device 10 of the present invention.

First, in the embodiment of FIG. 5 , the quarantine device 10 includes a communication unit 900 that transmits information measured by the detection unit 500 to a previously designated server. The designated server may be, for example, the server of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the collected detection information can be used as big data to identify the current spread situation in real time and to identify future spread situations that are predicted to occur in the future. .

In addition, the quarantine device 10 of the present invention includes the driving unit 1000 that creates a map of the indoor space and performs autonomous driving, and detection information acquired at a specific point on the map created by the driving unit 1000. Based on the prediction unit 1100 for estimating the prediction information on the diffusion trend is further included.

The traveling unit 1000 can be easily understood by taking a robot cleaner as an example. A map of the corresponding space can be created through the image of the ceiling, which usually does not change easily, and the quarantine device 10 can autonomously drive in a limited space through the created map and proximity sensor. The quarantine device 10 capable of autonomous driving can detect viruses in a fairly wide space with only a small number of quarantine devices 10 .

Also, the prediction unit 1100 may map detection information acquired at a specific point to a map prepared by the driving unit 1000 . In FIG. 5, the corresponding map visually expresses the concentration of the detected virus by corresponding to the area of a circle. In addition, the prediction unit 1100 may output a diffusion trend predicted to occur in the future based on detection information, such as at which point the virus concentration is high and how it changes over time. That is, the prediction unit 1100 may provide information on which point on the map should be intensively disinfected for effective quarantine.

On the other hand, the quarantine device 10 of the present invention provides various information such as alarms by classifying them according to the size, concentration and/or shape (droplet, droplet nucleus, virus, bacteria, germ, etc.) of droplets or sample particles in the air. can do. For example, by adding an image sensor to the collection unit 100, it is possible to determine the size or shape of droplets or sample particles introduced into the collection unit 100, and the information obtained in this way can also be used for quarantine.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains can be implemented in other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential features of the present invention. you will be able to understand Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood as illustrative in all respects and not limiting.

10: quarantine device 100: collection unit
200: reaction unit 300: disposable cartridge
310: upper cell 312: sample input unit
314 reagent cell 320 lower cell
322: extraction cell 323: crushing protrusion
324: washing cell 326: reaction cell
327: heat radiation protrusion 328: detection cell
330: reagent channel 332: transfer channel
400: well plate 410: reagent supply unit
420: electromagnet 500: detection unit
510: ultraviolet light source 520: image sensor
600: cartridge supply unit 700: disposal unit
800: sterilization unit 900: communication unit
1000: driving unit 1100: prediction unit

Claims (15)

a collecting unit into which droplets in the air are collected and concentrated, or a collected sample is inserted;
a disposable cartridge-type reaction unit that receives the sample prepared in the collecting unit and sequentially processes the sample with a plurality of reagents; and
a detection unit that detects the virus in a non-contact type with respect to the sample finally processed in the reaction unit;
Quarantine device comprising a. According to claim 1,
and a cartridge supply unit for accommodating a plurality of disposable cartridges and supplying the disposable cartridges to the reaction unit one by one. According to claim 2,
Quarantine device comprising a waste unit accommodating the disposable cartridge discharged after being used in the reaction unit. According to claim 3,
Quarantine device comprising a sterilization unit for disinfecting the collection unit or the disposal unit, or the collection unit and the disposal unit. According to claim 1,
The collection unit,
Quarantine, characterized by collecting droplets in the air using at least one of a mechanical fan, electric force, electrostatic force, and electromagnetic force, and concentrating the droplets using at least one of liquid phase concentration, adsorption, and membrane separation to prepare a sample. device. According to claim 1,
The disposable cartridge included in the reaction unit,
An upper cell including a sample input unit and a plurality of reagent cells each accommodating a plurality of reagents;
Located below the upper cell, and having a lower cell including an extraction cell, a washing cell, and at least one reaction cell and a detection cell,
A reagent channel connecting the plurality of reagent cells to corresponding lower cells, respectively;
Quarantine device, characterized in that the upper portion of the lower cell is provided with a transfer channel that connects to an adjacent lower cell in the next order. According to claim 6,
Disinfection device, characterized in that the side wall of the extraction cell is provided with crushing protrusions for facilitating extraction. According to claim 6,
Disinfection device, characterized in that the lower portion of the reaction cell is provided with a heat radiation protrusion for increasing the heat transfer area. According to claim 6,
The disposable cartridge corresponds to the PCR amplification method,
The quarantine device, characterized in that the lysis reagent, washing reagent, amplification reagent and detection reagent are sequentially accommodated in the plurality of reagent cells. According to claim 6,
The disposable cartridge corresponds to the gene editing method,
The quarantine device, characterized in that the lysis reagent, washing reagent, CRISPR protein complex and detection reagent are sequentially accommodated in the plurality of reagent cells. According to claim 6,
The disposable cartridge responds to an immune response,
The quarantine device, characterized in that the lysis reagent and the washing reagent are sequentially accommodated in the plurality of reagent cells, and an immunoreaction strip is provided in the detection cell. According to any one of claims 9 to 11,
The detecting unit,
Disinfection device comprising an ultraviolet light source for irradiating ultraviolet light to the detection cell and an image sensor for photographing the detection cell. According to claim 1,
The disposable cartridge included in the reaction unit is composed of a well plate having a plurality of cells in a row,
The reaction part,
and a reagent supply unit for supplying beads and a plurality of reagents to corresponding cells of the well plate, and an electromagnet for moving the beads to the next cell. According to claim 1,
Quarantine device comprising a communication unit for transmitting the information measured by the detection unit to a previously designated server. According to claim 1,
The quarantine device,
A driving unit that creates a map of the indoor space and performs autonomous driving;
The quarantine device further comprising a prediction unit for estimating prediction information on a diffusion trend based on detection information acquired at a specific point on the map.

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