Ultra-compact device that can perform blood tests in about one hour using just one drop of blood has been developed
A portable device has been developed that can complete blood tests in just one hour, instead of the several hours or days that would normally be required. It is expected to greatly reduce the burden on patients, as only a single drop of blood is required.
Acoustic pipette and biofunctional elastomeric microparticle system for rapid picomolar-level biomolecule detection in whole blood | Science Advances
Handheld diagnostic performs 1-hour blood tests from a finger prick
https://newatlas.com/imaging-diagnostics/blood-tests-diagnostic-one-hour/
Bedside blood test uses soundwaves to deliver faster results - YouTube
When you are hospitalized or undergo a medical checkup, your blood may be drawn. Normally, a needle is inserted into your arm to draw blood, which is then sent to a laboratory to check for specific molecules that indicate the presence or absence of disease or symptoms, as well as the progression of the disease. This can take hours or even days, which is not an ideal speed for diseases that progress quickly.
The portable device developed by researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder has the unique ability to isolate biomarkers for a variety of diseases from just a single drop of blood in about 70 minutes.
The device uses sound waves to isolate and capture specific biomarkers, such as viruses or proteins, researchers say. A small blood sample from a patient is mixed with particles called functional negative acoustic contrast particles (fNACPs) and placed into a handheld device that is then turned on. When the fNACP react to the sound waves, they are pushed to one side of the device along with the specific biomarkers.
Once all the particles have been pushed to one side, the blood and other components can be washed away. Fluorescent tags can then be attached to the biomarkers, illuminated with a laser, and the amount of biomarker calculated for further analysis.
'We're essentially using sound waves to manipulate particles and quickly separate them from a very small amount of liquid,' said Cooper Thome, who led the research. 'This is a completely new way of measuring blood biomarkers.' It is hoped that this device could be used to collect blood samples with a finger prick, like those used to treat diabetes, and analyze them on the spot.
The team is currently investigating ways to test for multiple biomarkers in a single sample, and is also considering adapting the device to test for samples from multiple people at once. However, at the time of writing, this is still only a proof of concept, and there are still many challenges to overcome before it can be applied to clinical use.
Related Posts:
