Lab-On-A-Chip Could Automate Pathogen Detection Process "In a Single Device"
Researchers in Germany have developed a platform that miniaturizes complex laboratory processes commonly used for pathogen detection into lab-on-a-chip (LOAC) technology. The researchers’ proof-of-concept study demonstrated the technology’s ability to detect pathogens including sepsis, salmonella, and E. coli using one instrument.
Advanced laboratory tests for pathogen detection use nuclear acid amplification testing (NAAT), a high-sensitivity process used to screen blood donations for blood-based infections. Though NAAT has demonstrated better accuracy than traditional serological methods, adoption of the method in emerging markets has been limited by the expense of the equipment, the required infrastructure, and the availability of consumables and trained technicians.
Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology in Leipzig, Germany hope to make the NAAT process simpler and more affordable by integrating the same principles into LOAC technology that is designed to be portable. The team, led by Natalia Sandetskaya, has developed a prototype, which they describe in a study published in Future Science.
“We were motivated by the existing need for making the molecular analysis of complex samples much simpler for the users,” said Sandetskaya in a press release. “Our particular applied interest is the detection of the pathogens in blood, for instance in sepsis, when only a few microorganisms must be rapidly found in a large volume of blood.”
The team’s device has incorporated several processes that traditionally require multiple steps and instruments — such as sample volume transition, lysis, nucleic acid isolation amplification, and real-time fluorescence detection — into a single instrument. The size and portability of the LOAC version of NAAT technology, as well as the ability to operate the system without advanced training, could make advanced diagnostics available to populations previously denied access, according to study authors.
“The platform enables the transition from large sample volume to microfluidic format,” wrote authors, who tested the LOAC using samples infected with sepsis, E. coli, and salmonella. “The design and open interface enable its versatile application for various nucleic acid-based assays, from simple to complex setups.”
Sandetskaya’s research is still in its early stages and will require further development before it’s market-ready, but she commented that the team has “already demonstrated a high level of integration of very diverse processes without making the system overly complex.”
Growth in the point-of-care diagnostics market is driven by emphasis on patient-centered care and decentralization of the healthcare system, as well as aging populations and growing prevalence of disease, according to Philips-Medisize. LOAC technology, which can offer electronic data collection and reduced wait times, satisfies many macro-environmental trends. The microfluidics market is expected to reach between $3.6 and $5.7 billion by 2018.
Related, scientists from Brigham Young University recently introduced a flexible glass for microfluidic devices that will enable such systems to test even smaller sample volumes. Using the glass, researchers would be able to isolate proteins, viruses, and DNA.