DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DETECTING AN INTESTINAL PARASITIC PROTOZOAN

摘要

This invention relates to the detection of intestinal parasitic protozoan. In particular, the invention relates to a device and method for detecting Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts in a sample. The device comprising: (a) a carbon substrate, wherein an antibody or an antibody fragment specific to an epitope of the parasite is immobilized on the substrate; and (b) an electrical circuit configured to monitor conductance across the substrate, wherein the presence or absence of the parasite is detected based on a change in the conductance. The method comprising: (a) contacting the sample with an antibody or an antibody fragment that binds specifically to an epitope of the parasite; and (b) detecting the presence of the parasite-bound antibody in the sample.