One of the big changes in health care is putting a laboratory on a chip. Back in November I wrote about how one day we might do a daily blood test as we take our vitamins.
'Barcode Chip' Enables Cheap, Fast Blood Tests is an update on this technology:
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A new barcode chip developed by a multi-institutional team of investigators promises to revolutionize diagnostic medical testing. In less than 10 minutes and using just a pinprick’s worth of blood, the chip can measure the concentrations of dozens of proteins, including those that herald the presence of diseases such as cancer and heart disease.
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Dr. James R. Heath of CalTech says “We are aiming to measure 100 proteins per fingerprick within a year or so. It’s a pretty enabling technology."
The column goes one with:
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To perform the assay, a drop of blood is added to the IBBC’s inlet, and then a slight pressure is applied, which forces the blood through a channel. As the blood flows, plasma is skimmed into narrow channels that branch off from the main channel. This part of the chip is designed as if it were a network of resistors, which optimizes plasma separation.
The plasma then flows across the barcodes, which consist of a series of lines, each 20 micrometers across and patterned with a different antibody that allows it to capture a specific protein from the plasma passing over. When the barcode is “developed,” the individual bars emit a red fluorescent glow, whose brightness depends on the amount of protein captured.
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The ability to catch problems in our bodies days after disease starts or a condition develops, instead of months or even years later, will make a huge difference in our ability to take care of the issue. These blood tests on a chip may be a bigger deal than the development of penicillin.
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Technorati tags: blood, test, chip
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