Method of detection/extraction, and related detection/extraction device
View Patent ↗A method that uses an L-α-dipalmitoleoyl-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) surfactant based device that reacts with a substance in a known manner, to detect a substance of interest or to extract a substance of interest from a material is provided. The principles of the present invention are particularly useful in detecting/measuring a substance that is harmful to a human, and also to extracting NACL from saltwater.
1. A method of reacting a substance with a surfactant-based biofilm, in an environment outside a human body comprising
(a) providing a reactive structure located in an environment outside a human body comprising a substrate with a surfactant-based biofilm that is known to react with a substance in a predetermined manner when the surfactant-based biofilm is exposed to the substance, the surfactant-based biofilm comprising a DPPC surfactant-based biofilm; and
(b) exposing the surfactant-based biofilm to the substance in an environment outside a human body to produce the reaction with the substance in the predetermined manner.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the surfactant-based biofilm is exposed to a fluid containing the substance in an environment outside a human body to produce the reaction.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the surfactant-based biofilm is characterized in that it has a predetermined thickness when not exposed to the substance in an environment outside a human body and changes thickness in a predetermined manner when exposed to the substance in an environment outside a human body.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the surfactant-based biofilm has a thickness of about 200 Angstroms when not exposed to the substance in an environment outside a human body.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the surfactant-based biofilm is exposed to saltwater to produce the reaction, which comprises adhesion of NaCl molecules to the surfactant-based biofilm.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the surfactant-based biofilm includes salmon sperm DNA.
7. A sensor comprising a substrate with a surfactant-based biofilm thereon, the sensor located in an environment outside a human body, the surfactant-based biofilm characterized by its ability to react in a predetermined manner when exposed to a known substance in an environment outside a human body, the surfactant-based biofilm comprising a DPPC surfactant-based biofilm.
8. The sensor of claim 7 , wherein the surfactant-based biofilm is characterized in that it has a predetermined thickness when not exposed to the known substance in an environment outside a human body and changes thickness in a predetermined manner when exposed to the known substance in an environment outside a human body.
9. The sensor of claim 8 , wherein the surfactant-based biofilm is further characterized in that it will return substantially to its original predetermined thickness when exposure to the known substance in an environment outside a human body is discontinued.
10. The sensor of claim 8 , wherein the surfactant-based biofilm has a thickness of about 200 Angstroms when not exposed to the known substance in an environment outside a human body.
11. A device for extracting salt from saltwater, comprising a substrate with a surfactant-based biofilm thereon, the surfactant-based biofilm comprising a DPPC surfactant-based biofilm that is characterized by its ability to react with saltwater to produce a reaction that causes a substantial portion of the NaCl molecules in the saltwater to adhere to the surfactant-based biofilm.
12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the surfactant-based biofilm includes salmon sperm DNA.
13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the surfactant-based biofilm has a thickness of about 300 Angstroms.
14. The device of claim 11 , wherein the surfactant-based biofilm has a thickness of about 300 Angstroms.
15. A method of reacting a substance with a surfactant-based biofilm, comprising
(a) providing a reactive structure comprising a substrate with a surfactant-based biofilm that is known to react with a substance in a predetermined manner when the surfactant-based biofilm is exposed to the substance, the surfactant-based biofilm comprising a DPPC surfactant-based biofilm; and
(b) exposing the surfactant-based biofilm to the substance to produce the reaction with the substance in the predetermined manner;
wherein, the surfactant-based biofilm is exposed to a fluid containing the substance to produce the reaction, wherein the surfactant-based biofilm is characterized in that it has a thickness of about 200 Angstroms when not exposed to the substance, and wherein the surfactant-based biofilm is exposed to a substance in the fluid that includes any or all of the following genres of material to produce the reaction: a hydrocarbon that is harmful to a human lung, a hydrocarbon fuel, a biological and/or chemical warfare agent, a hydrocarbon-based solvent, an airborne metal that includes any or all of tungsten, arsenic and cobalt, a radioactive material, a gas containing nitric oxide, carbon dioxide or methane, a virus, engine oil vapors.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the radioactive material includes 99m Tc DTPA; the hydrocarbon solvent includes any or all of ethanol, methanol, and acetone; the hydrocarbon fuel includes any or all of jet fuel, S-8 synthetic jet fuel, gasoline, diesel, kerosene; the biological and/or chemical warfare agent comprises any or all of ricin, sarin, anthrax, phosgene gas and mustard gas; and the virus includes Hong Kong 8/68.
17. The method of claim 6 , wherein the surfactant-based biofilm has a thickness of about 300 Angstroms when not exposed to the saltwater.
18. A sensor comprising a substrate with a surfactant-based biofilm thereon, the surfactant-based biofilm layer characterized by its ability to react in a predetermined manner when exposed to a known substance, the surfactant-based biofilm comprising a DPPC surfactant-based biofilm, wherein the surfactant-based biofilm is characterized in that it has a predetermined thickness when not exposed to the known substance and changes thickness in a predetermined manner when exposed to the known substance, wherein the surfactant-based biofilm is further characterized in that it will return substantially to its original predetermined thickness when exposure to the known substance is discontinued, wherein the surfactant-based biofilm has a thickness of about 200 Angstroms when not exposed to the known substance, and
wherein the surfactant-based biofilm in about a 200 Angstrom thickness has sensitivity such that it will change thickness in the predetermined manner when exposed to a substance that includes any or all of the following genres of material: a hydrocarbon that is harmful to a human lung, a hydrocarbon fuel, a biological and/or chemical warfare agent, a hydrocarbon-based solvent, an airborne metal that includes any or all of tungsten, arsenic and cobalt, a radioactive material, a gas containing nitric oxide, carbon dioxide or methane, a virus, engine oil vapors.
19. The sensor of claim 18 , wherein the radioactive material includes 99m Tc DTPA; the hydrocarbon solvent includes any or all of ethanol, methanol, and acetone; the hydrocarbon fuel includes any or all of jet fuel, S-8 synthetic jet fuel, gasoline, diesel, kerosene; the biological and/or chemical warfare agent comprises any or all of ricin, sarin, anthrax, phosgene gas and mustard gas; and the virus includes Hong Kong 8/68.