"Laboratory-in-a-suitcase" for cancer diagnosis
Scientists at Loughborough University (UK), working under the guidance of Dr. Nuno Reis, hope to increase the early detection of cancer in developing countries with the help of their portable "laboratory-in-a-suitcase", capable of functioning even in high ambient temperatures.
In recent years, there has been a steady increase in cancer mortality in developing countries. This is due not only to the aging of the population, but also to limited access to diagnostic tools. The portable device developed by the authors can help in solving this problem, as it allows diagnostics even in remote areas that do not have properly equipped laboratories.
The system they proposed consists of four components: a manually controlled set of disposable aspirator syringes that allow for simultaneous analysis of up to 80 whole blood samples; microlunar tablets containing the necessary reagents, a USB-powered portable scanner for converting test strip readings into digital images and a laptop computer for real-time data analysis.
The entire system can be carried in a small suitcase, bag or laptop case. Carrying out a blood test for the content of cancer biomarkers with its help will take no more than 15 minutes for the operator who has passed the minimum training, while he will not need any additional equipment or tools.
One of the significant advantages of the system is the possibility of using whole blood, since the preparation of samples outside the laboratory is an almost impossible task.
The inexpensive disposable microfluidic test strips used in the system consist of the thinnest tubes, the diameter of which is comparable to the diameter of a human hair. The ability of this technology, similar to the technology used in pregnancy tests, to quickly and with high specificity detect cancer biomarkers in whole blood was demonstrated by the developers in an earlier study in which it was used to detect prostate cancer using a smartphone camera.
Article by Ana I. Barbosa et al. A lab-in-a-briefcase for rapid prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening from whole blood is published in the journal Lab on a Chip.
Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of Loughborough University:
Loughborough University unveils world’s first lab-in-a-briefcase.
Loughborough University unveils world’s first lab-in-a-briefcase.
02.11.2015