Researcher(s)
- Emma Gutleber, Material Science, University of Delaware
Faculty Mentor(s)
- Charles Dhong, Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated the development for accessible rapid antigen tests for immediate self-isolation. However, current lateral flow antigen tests are not accessible to individuals with low vision or blindness, as the result is indicated by a visual readout. These tests use colloidal gold nanoparticles conjugated to antibodies to detect the presence of antigen causing a visible color change on the test line. Our aim of this work is to replace the method of detection with a polymer distinctive to touch that would generate a tactile output rather than a color change to facilitate independent use by individuals with blindness or low vision. To investigate if bioconjugation changes can be reliably distinctive through touch, we designed a simplified, but reasonable mimic for an antigen test “positive result” using 0.5 µm polystyrene microbeads conjugated to the surface via antibody-antigen bioconjugation. The “negative result” was created using covalently bound polyclonal IgG antibodies. In a three-alternative forced-choice (3AFC) test, participants were able to consistently distinguish between positive and negative results on fresh, untouched samples (n= 5). However, with second use, accuracy decreased to 60% (n = 5). Future research will focus on improving durability and strength of the tactile positive result by exploring different polymer areal densities and patterning to create the most distinct tactile output possible.