Medgadget » Diagnostics

New Microscope Enables Needle Free Blood Testing

Gavin Corley — Wed, 23 May 2012 15:34:46 +0000

For most people blood tests are synonymous with needle-sticks. However, researchers from the biomedical engineering department at the Israel Institute of Technology (Technion) may have found a way to take the pain out of some of our blood tests in the future. The researchers have developed a new microscope that can non-invasively image individual blood cells.

The microscope uses spectrally encoded confocal microscopy (SECM), a technique which allows for 2D spatial imaging of the blood cells. In order to image the moving blood cells, a probe is pressed against the skin which generates a line spectrum of light from red to violet. As blood cells near the surface of the skin cross the projected spectrum they scatter the light, which is collected by the probe and analyzed to generate 2D images of the blood cells.

UCSD Electronic Wireless Tattoo Receives Grant from the Gates Foundation

Scott Jung — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:20:51 +0000

Last week, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced its latest round of grant winners for its Grand Challenges Explorations initiative. Among the recipients is a team from the University of California, San Diego and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign that is developing a tiny, flexible fetal monitor. We wrote about the technology behind the device back in August and were able to hear from David Icke, CEO of MC10, the company helping to commercialize it, at both FutureMed in February and at last month’s TEDMED conference.

Described as an electronic “tattoo”, the device is a wearable patch of circuits, sensors, and wireless transmitters that sticks to the skin like a temporary tattoo and is able to stretch and flex with the skin. The researchers hope that the final product will continuously measure and monitor uterine contractions, fetal heart rate and oxygen, and maternal heart rate and body temperature.

Harmony Prenatal Test, a New Simpler, Cheaper Screening Tool for Fetal Trisomies

Gene Ostrovsky — Wed, 09 May 2012 15:22:42 +0000

Ariosa Diagnostics (San Jose, California) is releasing in the U.S. and Canada its Harmony Prenatal Test for detecting fetal trisomies in maternal blood. To be distributed through Laboratory Corporation of America (LabCorp), the test analyzes cell-free DNA (cfDNA), which are free floating DNA fragments, some of which that are in the mother’s blood come from the fetus.

Harmony utilizes directed DNA analysis, which is cheaper and more precise than random sequencing, aka shotgun sequencing, to spot aneuploid chromosomes.

Single Breath Disease Diagnostics Breathalyzer Detects Disease Thanks to Nanowires (video)

Gene Ostrovsky — Tue, 08 May 2012 11:48:58 +0000

Researchers at Stony Brook University in New York have developed a breath analyzing device that can quickly identify a number of disease marker gases that could be signs of an underlying problem. The technology utilizes single crystal nanowires that are created by electrospinning. The configuration of metal and oxygen atoms in the nanowires defines which molecules are captured by the chip.

Here’s a video report from the National Science Foundation about the research:

Bruker Extends MALDI Biotyper Library to Cover Mycobacteria and Fungi

Jan Sinnige — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 19:00:43 +0000

Bruker Daltonics, Bremen, Germany, announced extension of the microbial coverage of the MALDI Biotyper system for mass spectrometry-based microbial identification at the ECCMID (European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases) in London. New reference libraries and protocols for mycobacteria and multicellular fungi will extend the microbial coverage of the MALDI Biotyper.

MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry enables molecular identification, and taxonomical classification of microorganisms like bacteria, yeasts and fungi. Classification and identification of microorganisms is achieved using proteomic fingerprinting. Applications include clinical routine microbial identification, environmental and pharmaceutical analysis, taxonomical research, food and consumer product safety and quality control.

New Microfluidic Chip for Low Cost, Rapid Testing of Influenza Strains

Gene Ostrovsky — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 16:19:18 +0000

Researchers from Boston University and Harvard Medical School have been testing a new microfluidic chip that performs nucleic acid extraction and reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) in one device and features easily adjustable thermal and fluidic control.

The team hopes that the new technology will speed up and make more available rapid testing and identification of influenza infections.

NeuroLogica BodyTom Portable Full-Body CT Scanner Receives CE Mark

Wouter Stomp — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 16:57:13 +0000

NeuroLogica has received CE Mark approval for its BodyTom, a portable full body multi-slice CT scanner. The tomograph, on which we have reported several times before, is battery powered and can be transported to the patient from room to room, allowing it to be used in places like the clinic, ICU, OR and emergency department.

Specs of the scanner itself include a 32 slice CT with a 85cm gantry and 60cm field of view. Medgadget had the chance to see the BodyTom last November at the RSNA 2011 in Chicago and shoot the following video:

CareFusion’s Viking on Nicolet EDX Gets U.S. Clearance

Gene Ostrovsky — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 22:51:36 +0000

CareFusion received 510(k) clearance from the FDA for its Viking on Nicolet EDX electrodiagnostic system. The system can be used for a number of tests like nerve conduction, electromyography, and different evoked potential modalities. It supports two electrical stimulators, an auditory stimulator, and a visual stimulator, and has trigger inputs to interface with many other external stimulators.

Urine-Powered oPAD Takes Point of Care Testing to a New Low (Cost)

Gavin Corley — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 16:11:12 +0000

Prof. Richard Crooks and doctoral student Hong Liu at the The University of Texas at Austin have developed an origami-inspired paper sensor which may be used to test for a variety of diseases. The sensor, cheekily dubbed “oPAD” (origami Paper Analytical Device), was designed as a low cost, parallel point of care testing device.

The sensor is based on similar technology to existing paper fluidics testing devices such as home pregnancy testing strips. A hydrophobic material, such as wax or photoresist, is patterned onto chromatography paper. These hydrophobic channels direct a test sample of urine, blood, or saliva to spots on the paper where test reagents have been embedded.

Driven by Data, Symcat Studies Your Symptoms

Shiv Gaglani — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 19:27:18 +0000

“Big data” is the phrase that has the high-tech and healthcare industries buzzing. The ability to collect and intelligently analyze patient data, from their DNA sequence to their vital signs, promises to revolutionize both the delivery of healthcare and understanding of the human body. Aggregating information from millions of patients may greatly accelerate population health discoveries as well as guide individual treatment decisions. This was one of the more exciting applications of IBM’s Watson, but there is still a long way to go before the powerful machine is unleashed on the healthcare system, let alone the general public.

Symcat is a versatile and also very powerful tech solution that combines aggregated data from patient health records with user symptoms and demographics to inform diagnoses. The platform, which is already accessible online, is being developed by two medical student entrepreneurs from Johns Hopkins, Craig Monsen and David Do, and is part of the first class of Blueprint Health. This editor met up with Symcat’s founders to discuss the platform and its future: