System and method for pathogen detection using multiple-sized polymer-coated beads within lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals

摘要

A novel detection system and method is presented, where a two-bead receptor method is used for capturing pathogens, with one type of bead being magnetic and having a size of 3 microns or smaller, and the other type being polymeric and having a size of 3 microns or larger. The first type is used to concentrate a pathogen; the latter is used to create a detectable signal. Fast sensitive detection is achieved by collecting the optical signal created by the distortion of a homeotropically aligned chromonic azo dye in the presence of captured pathogens.