Near-field sensor array with 65-GHz CMOS oscillators can rapidly and comprehensively evaluate drug susceptibility of Mycobacterium.

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a major clinical problem. Because Mycobacterium, the causative agent of tuberculosis, are slow-growing bacteria, it takes 6–8 weeks to complete drug susceptibility testing, and this delay contributes to the development of MDR-TB. Real-time drug resistance monitoring technology would be effective for suppressing the development of MDR-TB. In the electromagnetic frequency from GHz to THz regions, the spectrum of the dielectric response of biological samples has a high dielectric constant owing to the relaxation of the orientation of the overwhelmingly contained water molecule network. By measuring the change in dielectric constant in this frequency band in a micro-liquid culture of Mycobacterium, the growth ability can be detected from the quantitative fluctuation of bulk water. The 65-GHz near-field sensor array enables a real-time assessment of the drug susceptibility and growth ability of Mycobacterium bovis (BCG). We propose the application of this technology as a potential new method for MDR-TB testing.

耐多药结核病（MDR - TB）是一个重大的临床问题。由于结核分枝杆菌（结核病的病原体）是生长缓慢的细菌，完成药物敏感性检测需要6 - 8周，这种延迟导致了耐多药结核病的发展。实时耐药监测技术将对抑制耐多药结核病的发展有效。在从吉赫兹到太赫兹频段的电磁频率中，生物样本的介电响应频谱由于所含大量水分子网络的取向弛豫而具有较高的介电常数。通过测量结核分枝杆菌微量液体培养物中该频段介电常数的变化，可以从体相水的定量波动中检测其生长能力。65吉赫兹近场传感器阵列能够实时评估牛结核分枝杆菌（卡介苗，BCG）的药物敏感性和生长能力。我们提议将该技术应用作为一种潜在的耐多药结核病检测新方法。