Researchers have developed a cellphone-based blood test technology that can provide immediate results in the comfort of one\u2019s home or a doctor\u2019s clinic, thereby cutting visits to the laboratory.In a paper published in the journal Biosensors and Bioelectronics, the researchers detailed a mobile version of the \u201cEnzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay\u201d (ELISA), the gold standard technique used to detect the presence of an antibody or antigen.<\/p>\n
\u201cELISA is an important technology for biochemical analysis of proteins and hormones and is critical for the diagnosis of many diseases, such as HIV and Lyme Disease,\u201d said corresponding author Anna Pyayt, Assistant Professor at the University of South Florida in Tampa, US.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut the machines required for the incubation and reading are expensive and bulky,\u201d Pyayt said.<\/p>\n
Instead of sending patients to a laboratory, the new cellphone-based technology – Mobile Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (MELISA) — allows for the very same test to be conducted in the doctor\u2019s office, clinic or even in a remote area.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe MELISA allows patients to undergo testing and obtain results at point-of-care,\u201d Pyayt said.<\/p>\n
The device accurately measures progesterone levels, a key hormone that impacts female fertility and is indicative of some cancers.<\/p>\n
It consists of a water bath heater that incubates samples at a target temperature and analyses them via images taken by mobile phone.<\/p>\n
The device uses colour analysis to determine the RGB (red, green, blue) colour components of each sample.<\/p>\n
The blue colour component is used for further analysis due to its sensitivity to the changes in progesterone concentration.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is designed to make biomedical testing simple and affordable. When low cost testing can be integrated with routine clinic visits, this would greatly improve the quality of healthcare and detect worrisome signs earlier,\u201d Pyayt added.<\/p>\n
The portable MELISA weighs less than half a kilogram and the researchers believe that it has the potential help older patients suffering chronic conditions and those across the world.<\/p>\n
IANS<\/p>\n
Picture courtesy: Alamy Image<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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