2013 witnessed two breakthrough developments in the diagnostic approach towards HIV testing. One technology uses microfluidic chips and another uses DVD scanners in estimating the level of HIV infection in AIDS suspects. Both these techniques are simple, cost effective and accurate w.r.t. flow cytometers which is in use currently.
Just like the blood sugar test which allows diabetics to quickly and easily monitor glucose levels, a new handheld device developed at the University of Illinois aims to quickly and accurately diagnose HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
The cheap optics in DVD players may find a new life in a cost-effective and speedy technique for on-the-spot HIV/AIDS testing and other analytics. Researchers from KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm have developed a novel technique for cheap, quick and on-the-spot HIV testing using DVD scanners.
With an ordinary DVD player, the researchers have created a cheap analytical tool for DNA, RNA, proteins and even entire cells. They converted a commercial DVD drive into a laser scanning microscope that can analyse blood and perform cellular imaging with one-micrometer resolution. The so-called "Lab-on-DVD" technology makes it possible to complete an HIV test in just a few minutes.
Enumeration of cell-type CD4 + in blood using flow cytometry is the current standard in HIV testing, but the practice has been limited in developing countries. Flow cytometry units can cost upwards of USD 30,000, excluding maintenance. By contrast, mass-produced Lab-on-DVD units could be made available for less than USD 200. And unlike the bulky and technically-complex flow cytometry instruments, a Lab-on-DVD would be portable and require less training to operate.
The Microfluidic Biochip
The device is called a "microfluidic biochip" and it's smaller than our palm, about the size of a credit card. It can count a specific type of white blood cells that the HIV virus works to destroy.
When people are tested for HIV, the process typically involves blood being drawn by phlebotomists in a lab or clinic. Then the blood is analyzed using special equipment called "flow cytometers," which are operated by trained individuals. Results can come back in a day or two and the cost is quite expensive. The microfluidic biochip test requires fewer people to be involved. And it costs a lot less — about 10 USD a test
When people are tested for HIV, the process typically involves blood being drawn by phlebotomists in a lab or clinic. Then the blood is analyzed using special equipment called "flow cytometers," which are operated by trained individuals. Results can come back in a day or two and the cost is quite expensive. The microfluidic biochip test requires fewer people to be involved. And it costs a lot less — about 10 USD a test
Lab-on-DVD
With an ordinary DVD player, the researchers have created a cheap analytical tool for DNA, RNA, proteins and even entire cells. They converted a commercial DVD drive into a laser scanning microscope that can analyse blood and perform cellular imaging with one-micrometer resolution. The so-called "Lab-on-DVD" technology makes it possible to complete an HIV test in just a few minutes.
Enumeration of cell-type CD4 + in blood using flow cytometry is the current standard in HIV testing, but the practice has been limited in developing countries. Flow cytometry units can cost upwards of USD 30,000, excluding maintenance. By contrast, mass-produced Lab-on-DVD units could be made available for less than USD 200. And unlike the bulky and technically-complex flow cytometry instruments, a Lab-on-DVD would be portable and require less training to operate.
No comments:
Post a Comment