New sensor technology could speed up blood test analysis

said braka 9:56 AM
Currently tests to detect the presence of infection or

disease require a sample of blood from a patient, which is later analysed in a laboratory to detect markers of disease. The presence of particular proteins can give an indication of a health condition and the best course of treatment, but only one type of protein can be identified per sample.
If multiple tests are required, as is the case in the suspected presence of cancer cells or resistant infection, the delivery of results can take longer and the costs of testing increases.
The team at York, however, have developed a biosensor that combines light and electricity, to detect multiple disease biomarkers in one smaller sample of blood. The technology could make blood tests more comfortable for patients and enable results to be processed quicker.
Professor Thomas Krauss, at the University of York's Department of Physics, said: "These sensors can give fast, real time results and at low cost. The length of time and money that it takes laboratory technicians to identify just one protein in a patient sample is a real challenge for the NHS and can result in emotional distress for patients.
"Not only can this new technology speed the process up, but it can test for a number of proteins and enzymes together in just one sample, increasing the chances of a successful and timely diagnosis."
Researchers are now looking to test the new technology in urine samples for  (UTIs), which has a high resistance to antibiotic treatment. If the biosensor can identify biomarkers of the infection and of resistance, it is more likely that the correct course of  will be prescribed the first time around, rather than on repeat visits, which is often the case with UTIs.


Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2016-09-sensor-technology-blood-analysis.html#jCp