Rapid Detection Test for
Coronavirus
The Rapid
Detection Test
Device
Rapid detection test based on
lateral flow assay (LFA)
The test strip assembly
consist of porous sample and
conjugate pads, a porous
membrane, and a porous
absorption pad
The sample is applied in the
sample well and flows from
the sample pad to the
absorption pad
The flow is driven by capillary
forces in the porous materials
The Principle for 1
Detection
1.The sample:
May contain coronavirus antibodies (IgM, IgG)
Contains an animal virus antibody added as
reference during sample preparation
2.The conjugate pad:
Human antibodies pick up gold nanoparticles by
attaching to coronavirus antigens at the surface 2
of the nanoparticles forming a complex
The animal antibodies pick up nanoparticles with
animal antigens on their surface
The antibody-antigen-particle complexes are
dissolved in the sample and carried with the flow
3.The membrane:
Each antibody is immobilized by attaching to
their antibody detector at the respective test line
The accumulation of gold nanoparticles gives
each test line its color
3
If the animal detector test line is not colored,
then the test is discarded, since the sample has
not flown properly through the test strip
Models
3D model for investigation
possible symmetries in the
flow
2D models for the transport The blue shaded plane shows where the cross section in the 3D model is taken for the 2D model.
and chemical phenomena in
the LFA:
Homogeneous model
Heterogeneous model
The 2D model domain is The modeled 2D domain.
formed using a vertical cross
section in the middle of the
3D test strip
Model Definition
Richards’ equation for fluid flow
Transport of diluted species for the
transport and the reactions of the
involved species
Surface reactions for the adsorbed
species, which are not carried by the
Automatic generation
flow (denoted “ads” in the figure) of the transport and
reaction interfaces for
Implementation notes: the space dependent
model
The reactions are typed-in the
reaction engineering interface
The species and material balances for
each species are automatically
created from the chemical reactions
The generate space-dependent node
generates all transport interfaces
except the Richards’ equation The model tree for the heterogeneous 2D model. The chemistry, transport of diluted species,
and the surface reaction interfaces are created using the reaction engineering interface’s
“generate space-dependent model” node.
The Chemical
Reactions
The reactions are entered in the reaction
engineering interface
Coronavirus antibodies: IgM and IgG
Animal virus antibody: AA
Coronavirus antigen (spike protein, S)
attached to gold nanoparticle: SCoAu
Animal antigen attached to nanoparticle:
AAu
Antibody-antigen-nanoparticle complex:
IgMC, IgGC, AAC
Antibody detectors: IgMd, IgGd, AAd
Complexes attached to detectors at the test
lines (positive): IgMPos, IgGPos, AAPos
Reactions 1, 3, 5 occur in the conjugate pad
Reactions 1, 2, and 3 occur in the conjugate pad.
Reactions 2, 4, 6 occur at the respective test Reactions 4, 5, and 6 occur in the respective test line,
if the test is positive.
line
The 2D Models Reactions at
the surface
Heterogenous model:
The reactions occur at the
surface of the test strip
Homogeneous model:
The reactions occur across the
whole thickness of the Reactions
membrane at the location of the distributed
test lines and in the conjugation across the
thickness
pad
Heterogeneous model, top, and homogeneous model,
bottom.
The reactions are distributed along the whole
thickness of the membrane at the test line for the
homogeneous model.
3D Model
The saturation becomes
uniform across the width of
the test strip already after 5
s, i.e. when the liquid sample
has reached the conjugate
pad
This implies that the
distribution of the sample is
completely uniform across the
width of the test strip when
the sample reaches the test
lines
3D and 2D
Comparison
The velocity in the x-direction at
the position of the first test line
in the 3D and 2D models are in
good agreement
The slight delay in the 3D model
at the beginning may be due to
the fact that some of the sample
has to flow also along the width
of the test strip the first few
seconds
We can use the 2D models to
make a fairly accurate model of
the chemistry, since the sample Comparison of the sample flow velocity in the 3D and 2D model at the position of the first
test line.
is uniformly distributed already
in the conjugate pad
IgMC
Concentration
The heterogeneous and
homogeneous models are in
decent agreement Heterogeneous model
at 21 s, 65 s, 260 s, and
This agreement is due to the 410 s.
fact that the conjugate and
test line reactions are both
limited by adsorption kinetics
If the transport of species to
the surface in the
heterogeneous model was
limiting, we would see a
larger discrepancy between
the two models
Homogeneous model at
21 s, 65 s, 260 s, and
410 s.
Detection
The revelation of the IgM test line as a
function of time is almost linear
If the process was limited by mass
transport, we would see a decrease in
the slope at around 275 s, when the
flow stops:
This can be confirmed if we increase the
adsorption rate constants (this was
tested)
The slight delay between the detection
of the three antibodies reflects the
difference in arrival of the liquid sample
to the test lines
IgM and IgG compete in picking up
nanoparticles with coronavirus
Nanoparticle concentration for the respective antibody detection test line. The test line
antigens, which gives a slight decay in starts to be visible at around 1·108 particles/mm2.
rate compared to the animal reference
antibody
