URI team develops technology for cheap blood tests

SOUTH KINGSTOWN – A new patent-pending device invented by a team of engineers and students at the University of Rhode Island uses a pinprick of blood in a portable device that can provide test results in less than 30 minutes, researchers announced Jan. 10.
The first devices focus on detection of C-reactive proteins in the blood, a biomarker used to assess the risk of cardiovascular and peripheral vascular diseases. The device can be engineered to detect levels of beta amyloid protein that can be used as a predictor of Alzheimer’s disease, as well as pathogens such as HIV, hepatitis B and H1N1 flu, according to researchers.
The new lab-on-a-chip technology works as follows: a drop of blood is placed on a plastic polymer cartridge smaller than a credit card, and the cartridge is then inserted into a shoebox-sized biosensor containing a miniature spectrometer and piezoelectric micro-pump. The blood travels through tiny channels 500 microns wide, where it reacts with preloaded reagents enabling the sensor to detect certain biomarkers of disease.
Compared to similar devices in development elsewhere, the URI system is much smaller, more portable, requires a smaller blood sample, and is less expensive, according to URI engineers. While the sensor costs about $3,200, each test costs just $1.50.
According to the researchers, the capability to detect cancer cells through a blood test would enable doctors to better slow the disease’s spread – and its response to treatment. &#8226