Patent Description:
Biological fluids from humans are often studied by various methods, for the diagnosis of infectious diseases. These methods include microscopy, culture, rapid antigen tests and nucleic acid amplification methods such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Regardless of the detection method, if the amount of the infectious agent in the sample is below the sensitivity limits of these tests, they cannot detect the agent. These tests, by nature, can evaluate a sample with a very small volume. However, many biological samples such as blood, urine and mouthwash can be easily taken tens of times more than the amount used in these tests. In addition, biological samples may contain substances that inhibit reactions that allow the detection of microorganisms, such as PCR, by amplifying their nucleic acids. The aim of this present invention is to concentrate infectious agents with elastic polymer molecular meshes, which reduce the volume of biological samples by removing water and other small molecules from the environment, as well as to eliminate small molecules that inhibit the reactions of diagnostic methods, thereby increasing the sensitivity of these tests.

Concentration of infectious agents in liquid biological samples increases the sensitivity of diagnostic methods.

The most commonly used method, to increase the detection sensitivity of infectious agents in liquid biological samples by diagnostic tests, is the concentration of microorganisms by centrifuging the liquids. After microorganisms are sedimented by centrifuging, the supernatant is poured and the organisms are concentrated in a small amount of liquid remaining at the bottom of the tube. The chance of detecting organisms such as bacteria and fungi, sought in the microscopic examination of this concentrated liquid, is higher compared to the original sample. It is also more likely to detect the organism by other diagnostic methods such as culture, molecular diagnostic methods and antigen tests, from a concentrated sample.

Centrifugation is a time-consuming process. It also requires a centrifuge with appropriate features. In laboratories without centrifuge, this concentration process cannot be applied. In order to concentrate the samples, it should be placed in the appropriate centrifuge tube, placed in the centrifuge device and generally rotated for several minutes. Then the supernatant is removed. There is a risk of transmission of organisms that cause disease, during these processes. Although the bacteria, fungi and parasites can be concentrated by centrifuging, the viruses cannot be concentrated directly by this way, as they are much smaller than these organisms.

Another method of concentrating infectious agents in biological fluids is by filtration. This process is used to concentrate microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi that cause contamination in foods such as milk. Filtration process requires special filters with <NUM>-<NUM> micron pore diameter. Since bacteria and fungi are larger than these pores, they cannot pass through the filter and are concentrated on the filter. Viruses, on the other hand, are very small and easily pass through such filter pores and cannot be condensed by filtration method. For this reason, both centrifugation and filtration are not suitable methods for condensing disease-causing viruses from biological liquid samples.

The present invention that we describe here is use of "elastic hydrophilic polymer meshes" in detection of infectious agents in a fluid biological sample by a diagnostic test for concentrating infectious agents, including viruses, large molecules of all microorganisms by removing water and other small molecules with molecular weight less than <NUM> Daltons from the sample, thereby increasing the sensitivity of the detection of the infectious agents. Three-dimensional cage-like structures made up of elastic polymers are used to incorporate small molecules, while the volumes of the mesh structures expand. Meanwhile, the size of the pores on their surface allow organisms to concentrate in a small amount of fluid outside, by not allowing any infectious agents, including viruses, and their large antigens to enter this three-dimensional structure. The fluid containing the infectious agents outside these structures is taken from there and then used in diagnostic tests such as microscopy, culture, nucleic acid amplification and immunological tests. For example, the sensitivity of nucleic acid amplification methods such as PCR, used to detect viral and bacterial agents such as SARS-CoV2 (new coronavirus), Influenza (flu virus), Mycobacterium tuberculosis, (tuberculosis bacillus), Streptococcus pyogenes can be increased as a result of concentration of infectious agents in mouthwash. Similarly, the sensitivity of antigen tests, microscopy and culture methods can also be increased. The sensitivity of the tests used in the diagnosis of microorganisms causing infections in central nervous system infection, can be increased by concentrating the cerebrospinal fluid and infectious agents causing urinary tract infections, by concentrating urine, using this new method. This new concentration method also contributes to the increased sensitivity of diagnostic tests, as molecules of small structures, which are present in biological fluids and inhibit the reactions of PCR and antigen tests, are also removed during the concentration process.

<CIT> and named "Concentration and Enrichment of Microbial Cells and Microbial Nucleic Acids from Bodily Fluids" and in their equivalent applications made in other countries, stated that centrifugation or filtration methods are used for the concentration of microorganisms (Claim <NUM>, item b). In this application the concentration method described is for bacteria and it is not possible to concentrate viruses by this method.

Apart from the classical filtration and centrifugation methods as described above, other microorganism concentration methods have been defined. These methods, which differ from the invention we have described above, and their different aspects, are described below.

In the patent application made by <CIT> named "Microorganism Concentration Process", and in their equivalent applications made in many countries, they describe a method of concentrating the microorganisms, by binding microorganisms to metal silicate crystals such as gamma-FO(OH) (iron oxide) and separating them from the liquid. In this method, it is not possible to reduce the liquid volume by removing water and other small molecules, thus concentrate microorganisms in a small volume, as we have described above in our new method. In patent application <CIT> named "Bismuth-containing Concentrating Agents for Microorganism" and similar applications made in various countries of the same application made by the same researchers, in order to concentrate microorganisms, it has been proposed using bismuth salts instead of gamma-FO(OH). Also, in their other application named "Microorganism concentration agent and method of making" - <CIT> they proposed using titanium dioxide, gold or platinum, bonded to silica sand for the binding of microorganisms, or in patent <CIT> named "Lanthanum-based Concentration Agents" they proposed using lanthanum carbonate. In these applications, it is not possible to reduce the liquid volume by removing the small molecules by polymers as we defined in our invention in this document.

A similar patent application has been filed by <CIT> and named as "Methods Compositions, and Kits for the concentration and detection of Microorganisms", it is proposed that microorganisms are attached to various surfaces and concentrated by separating them from liquids. This is also not similar to the use of elastic hydrophilic polymer meshes that we described in this document.

In the patent application <CIT> named "Pathogen detection in large-volume particulate samples" discloses filter systems for detecting microorganisms in a large-volume particulate samples such as a food sample. However, the principle of this system is filtration not concentration by removing water and small molecules from the fluid samples we described in this document. These filtration systems cannot concentrate viruses, proteins and nucleic acids as the invention we described in this document.

In a study of <NPL>" describes concentration method by filtering liquids through a membrane with small pores. The polymers mentioned here, such as cellulose and PVDF, are the polymers used to create membranes. It has a filter feature that retains the molecules and microorganisms in the liquids passed from one side to the other. The polymer network in this invention has a two-dimensional structure like a paper. However this document does not discloses a use in accordance with claim described in this document.

The patent application <CIT> named "Method for purifying viral nucleic acids" relates to a method for purification of viral RNA from a biological sample. The method involves lysing the virus envelope to liberate the RNA and passing the lysate through a porous hydrophilic PVDF filter to capture the viral RNA. This is also not similar to the use of elastic hydrophilic polymer meshes that we described in this document.

The patent application <CIT> named "Liquid crystal based analyte detection" relates to the field of detection of viruses, and in particular to detection of viruses using a liquid crystal assay format. However this document does not disclose a use in accordance with claim described in this document.

In the patent application <CIT> named "Entrapment matrix enhancing internal mass transfer, and biosensor using the same, and preparing method of the same" describes an immobilization insoluble carrier having improved substance transferring ability to the inside, and a biosensor using the same and a preparation method thereof. However this document does not disclose a use in accordance with claim described in this document.

In the patent application <CIT> named "Nano-PCR: methods and devices for nucleic acid amplification and detection" relates methods, devices, and compositions that provide for amplification of nucleic acid sequences without reliance upon temperature cycling, thus freeing the methods from conventional benchtop thermal cycling devices. This is also not similar to the use of elastic hydrophilic polymer meshes that we described in this document.

None of the methods, we cited above use of "elastic hydrophilic polymer meshes" in detection of infectious agents in a fluid biological sample by a diagnostic test, for concentrating infectious agents including viruses and large molecules of all microorganisms that we describe in this application. In patent document <CIT>, named "Protein, Fast Method Virus Concentration" a method based on co-precipitation of viruses bound to albumin is described. Similarly, in patent application <CIT> named "Concentration and Purification of Viruses from Particulate Magnetic Iron Oxide-Virus Complexes", viruses are attached to magnetic iron oxide particles and concentrated. In the patent application <CIT> and named "Method for Concentrating Virus in Sewage or Sewage Treatment Plant Tail Water", the concentration method defined is proposing binding of viruses to silica gel in the presence of Al<NUM>+ and separation after washing with sulfuric acid. All of these methods are based on concentration by binding viruses to a surface or by bonding and sedimentation together with various molecules, and they are different methods from volume reduction by removing small molecules from the environment with the elastic polymer meshes as we describe in this application. In the method we describe, microorganisms are not bound to any surface or molecule. Reducing the volume of liquid and concentrating viruses and other microorganisms is achieved by removing the water and other small molecules surrounding the viruses that are freely present in the liquid, with elastic polymers.

In patent application <CIT> named "Concentration and Purification Method for Influenza Virus" the concentration method of viruses defined is size exclusion chromatography, which is a different method than the method we describe in this application.

Claim 1:
Use of elastic hydrophilic polymer meshes in detection of infectious agents in a liquid biological sample by a diagnostic test, for concentrating infectious agents including viruses and large antigens of all microorganisms by removing water and other small molecules with molecular weight less than <NUM> Daltons from the sample, thereby increasing the sensitivity of the detection of the infectious agents.