A blood diagnostic chip that can examine HIV and tuberculosis in just a few minutes

A blood diagnostic chip has been developed that diagnoses disease within only a few minutes.

In this chip, it is possible to examine HIV and tuberculosis using patient's blood. It can be inspected without connecting with external equipment, no power supply is required, it is very inexpensive and easy to inspect method, so it seems to be expected to play an active part in the medical diagnosis site.

Details of the blood diagnostic chip are as follows.New blood analysis chip could lead to disease diagnosis in minutes

The chip is called SIMBAS (The Self-powered Integrated Microfluidic Blood Analysis System), and it can diagnose from a blood sample without using a tube or an external device.

Professor Luke Lee who teaches biotechnology at the University of California, Berkeley said, "This is a very important development for the field of medical diagnosis.The doctors in the field can use this chip to bring disease such as HIV and tuberculosis only minutes We will be able to diagnose within. "

SIMBAS chip utilizes microscopic microscopic grooves and when blood is introduced into the mouth of the chip, relatively heavy red blood cells and leukocytes among the blood components,plasmaIt separates from it and is falling into the groove. By separating erythrocytes and leukocytes from plasma in this manner, it is possible to detect biotin (vitamin B7) present in the blood.

Image of SIMBAS chip. Drop the blood in the groove marked "Whole Blood" on the left side and conduct an inspection.


Benjamin Ross, a graduate student at the University of California at Berkeley, says, "Think about thinking that HIV and tuberculosis can be diagnosed within minutes within a convenient and inexpensive device as well as a pregnancy test kit, I will be able to save you. "

Professor Luke Lee says, "By simplifying the structure of the chip and using plastic parts, we were able to make chips that are easier to manufacture than conventional chips and mass-produced inexpensively. , To have a diagnostic function that responds to the needs of worldwide healthcare, and to provide inexpensive and actually portable devices, "and then on the future development" apply SIMBAS platform, cancer , We can create an effective diagnostic chip platform for diseases such as heart disease and sepsis. "