BIO-SPECIFIC, PLATE MODE (PM) MICROSENSOR

BIODE WILL UTILIZE THE RESULTS OF ITS PHASE I RESEARCH TO DEVELOP (PHASE II) AND COMMERCIALIZE (PHASE III) A TOTALLY NEW SOLID STATE SENSOR TECHNOLOGY FOR BIOLOGICAL MEASUREMENTS. THIS TECHNOLOGY IS BASED UPON THE MERGING OF TWO OTHER RELATIVELY NEW TECHNOLOGIES: MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES (HYBRIDOMA TECHNOLOGY) WITH PIEZOELECTRIC PLATE MODE (PM) ACOUSTIC MICRO SENSORS. ACOUSTIC WAVE SENSORS ARE SOLID STATE ELECTRONIC DEVICES WHICH ARE HIGHLY SENSITIVE TO MINUTE MASS CHANGES. SENSITIVITIES OF LESS THAN 10 PPB HAVE BEEN DEMONSTRATED FOR A GAS. SPECIFICITY IS A MAJOR TECHNICAL PROBLEM IN EVERY SENSOR SYSTEM. IN BIOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS, THE ADVENT OF MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES (MAB) HAS HELPED TREMENDOUSLY TO LEND THE REQUIRED SPECIFICITY TO ANALYTICAL METHODOLOGIES. THUS TECHNIQUES SUCH AS RIA AND EIA, WHICH ARE CURRENTLY THE MOST SENSITIVE AVAILABLE, UTILIZE MAB'S TO ATTAIN REPRODUCIBLE EPITOPE SPECIFICITY FOR BOTH HAPTENS AS WELL AS MACROMOLECULAR ANTIGENS. HOWEVER BOTH OF THESE TECHNOLOGIES ARE LIMITED TO A PRACTICAL SENSITIVITY OF 1 NG FOR MACROMOLECULAR ANTIGENS IN A 4-8 HOUR ASSAY TIME. BY COMBINING THE EXPECTED SENSITIVITY OF PM WITH THE SPECIFICITY OF MAB BIODEWILL CREATE A NOVEL DETECTION TECHNOLOGY WHICH WILL SURPASS THIS SENSITIVITY BARRIER WHILE MAINTAINING THE REQUISITE SPECIFICITY. THIS NOVEL TECHNOLOGYWILL HAVE NUMEROUS POTENTIAL BIOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS INCLUDING IN VITRO AND IN VIVO DIAGNOSTICS AS WELL AS CONTINOUS ON-LINE BIOLOGICAL PROCESS CONTROL AND MONITORING.