Detection of pathogens and allergens

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017299496-A1
Application number	US-201615099929-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 15, 2016
Priority date	Apr 15, 2016
Publication date	Oct 19, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments include methods, systems and computer program products for communicating the presence of a target DNA or RNA sequence. Aspects include receiving a plurality of images of a sample taken by a portable video capture device. Aspects also include calculating a change in position over time of microscopic beads coated with DNA probe sequence in a sample containing genetic material. Aspects also include determining whether the beads are displaying Brownian motion. Aspects also include, based upon a determination of that the beads are displaying Brownian motion, generating a negative output message and sending the negative output message to a portable display. Aspects also include, based upon a determination of that the beads are not displaying Brownian motion, generating a positive output message and sending the positive output message to a portable display.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A computer-implemented method for communicating the presence of a target DNA or RNA sequence, the method comprising:
receiving, by a processor, a plurality of images of a sample solution taken by a portable video capture device, wherein each of the images is an image of the sample solution at a unique time, and wherein the sample solution comprises a plurality of microscopic beads comprising a DNA probe sequence and a genetic material sample; calculating, by the processor, a change in position of each of the microscopic beads over time based upon the plurality of images; determining, based at least in part upon the calculated changes in position, whether the plurality of microscopic beads are displaying Brownian motion; responsive to a determination that the plurality of microscopic beads are displaying Brownian motion, generating a negative output message and sending the negative output message to a portable display; and responsive to a determination that the plurality of microscopic beads are not displaying Brownian motion, generating a positive output message and sending the positive output message to the portable display.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the portable video capture device comprises:
a video camera; a lens adapter for the video camera; a sample holder; a microscopic bead injector; and the portable display.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the portable video capture device is a tablet, a smart phone or a smart watch.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises calculating a diffusion coefficient of the DNA probe sequence.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the processor is in a distributed network.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the positive output message comprises an indication that a target DNA or RNA sequence corresponding to the DNA probe is present in the sample solution.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , the method further comprising sending a data collection to a shared pool of configurable computing resources.

8 . The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein the data collection comprises the plurality of images of the sample, the change in position of each of the microscopic beads, or the determination whether the plurality of beads are displaying Brownian motion.

9 . A computer program product for communicating the presence of a target DNA or RNA sequence, the computer program product comprising:
a non-transitory storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising: receiving a plurality of images of a sample solution taken by a portable video capture device, wherein each of the images is an image of the sample solution at a unique time, and wherein the sample solution comprises a plurality of microscopic beads comprising a DNA probe sequence and a genetic material sample; calculating a change in position of each of the microscopic beads over time based upon the plurality of images; determining, based upon the calculated changes in position, whether the plurality of microscopic beads are displaying Brownian motion; responsive to a determination that the plurality of microscopic beads are displaying Brownian motion, generating a negative output message and sending the negative output message to a portable display; and responsive to a determination that the plurality of microscopic beads are not displaying Brownian motion, generating a positive output message and sending the positive output message to the portable display.

10 . The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the portable video capture device comprises:
a video camera; a lens adapter for the video camera; a sample holder; and a microscopic bead injector.

11 . The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the portable video capture device is a tablet, a smart phone, or a smart watch.

12 . The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to calculate a diffusion coefficient of the DNA probe sequence.

13 . The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the negative output message comprises an indication that a target DNA or RNA sequence corresponding to the DNA probe is not present in the sample solution.

14 . The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the positive output message comprises an indication that a target DNA or RNA sequence corresponding to the DNA probe is present in the sample solution.

15 . The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to send a data collection to a shared pool of configurable computing resources.

16 . A processing system for communicating the presence of a target DNA or RNA sequence, comprising:
a portable video capture device; a portable display; and a processor in communication with one or more types of memory, the processor configured to: receive a plurality of images of a sample solution taken by the portable video capture device, wherein each of the images is an image of the sample solution at a unique time, and wherein the sample solution comprises a plurality of microscopic beads comprising a DNA probe sequence and a genetic material sample; calculate a change in position of each of the microscopic beads over time based upon the plurality of images; determine, based upon the calculated changes in position, whether the plurality of microscopic beads are displaying Brownian motion; responsive to a determination that the plurality of microscopic beads are displaying Brownian motion, generate a negative output message and send the negative output message to the portable display; and responsive to a determination that the plurality of microscopic beads are not displaying Brownian motion, generate a positive output message and send the positive output message to the portable display.

17 . The processing system of claim 16 , wherein the portable video capture device comprises:
a video camera; a lens adapter for the video camera; a sample holder; and a microscopic bead injector.

18 . The processing system of claim 16 , wherein the portable video capture device is a tablet, a smart phone, or a smart watch.

19 . The processing system of claim 16 , wherein the processor is further configured to send a data collection to a shared pool of configurable computing resources.

20 . The processing system of claim 16 , wherein the positive output message comprises an indication that a target DNA or RNA sequence corresponding to the DNA probe is present in the sample solution.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Balagurusamy Venkat K
• Heisig Stephen J
• Ligman Joseph W
• Su Gong

Classifications

• G06T2207/10056

  Microscopic image · CPC title

• G01N2015/0065

  Physics · mapped topic

• G01N15/1463 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06T2207/10016

  Video; Image sequence · CPC title

• G06T2207/30072

  Microarray; Biochip, DNA array; Well plate · CPC title