Microfluidic devices are analogous to circuit boards, and they can be programmed to perform all kinds of laboratory tasks on a small scale. They have the potential to perform all kinds of medical tests involving body fluids in a short time and using very small samples. While circuit boards pass electricity, which can be abstracted […]
Tag: Pathology
Breathalyzer to Detect COVID-19 in Seconds
Being able to tell, in a matter of seconds, whether someone is infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 would certainly help put a halt to the ongoing pandemic. Existing tests typically involve a deep nasal swab to obtain enough fluid sample, which has to be transferred to a laboratory machine for processing, with the […]
High-Resolution 3D Mouse Brain Map for Neuroscience Researchers
Researchers at the Allen Institute in Seattle have created a 3D Mouse Brain Atlas, which functions as a spatial map of the brain and allows neuroscientists to contextualize their results based on specific brain landmarks. Strikingly, the resolution of the map is so high that it is possible to locate individual cells, providing an enormous [… (Read more...)
New Fluorescence Microscopy Technique for Nanostructure Visualization Within Cells
Researchers at Purdue University have developed a new technique to dramatically enhance the resolution achievable when imaging intracellular structures with super-resolution fluorescence microscopy. The technique uses the distortions created by a specimen to pinpoint the location of individual molecules, and thereby infer the location of intracellu (Read more...)
3D Printed Microscope Costs as Little as $18
Researchers at the University of Bath in the UK have developed a 3D-printed microscope design, called OpenFlexure, which is open-source and can be assembled for as little as $18. More complex versions of the design are possible, and the microscope can incorporate full automation and a Raspberry Pi computer. The research team hopes that the [&hellip (Read more...)
Camera Images Blood Perfusion at High Resolution Thanks to Pulse Oximeter
How blood moves throughout the body and into the smallest capillaries is hard to observe using existing imaging methods. Yet, poor blood perfusion can be an indicator for a variety of medical conditions, potentially serving as a diagnostic tool and a way to help manage diseases. Infrared thermography is a decent tool for this, but […]
Micro-OCT Lets Docs Spot Tumors Below Tissue Surface
A collaboration between researchers at Nanyang Technological University, Harvard Medical School, and University of Alabama has led to the development of a prototype device capable of imaging through tissues at resolutions down to 1 micrometer (μm). The micro-OCT imager takes advantage of optical coherence tomography (OCT) at wavelengths between (Read more...)
Magnetic Beads Trap E. Coli from Body Fluid Samples
While current concern is all about the COVID-19 virus that originated in China and spread around the world, this pathogen will eventually disappear. Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria, though, is with us for the long run and it can cause just as much suffering as COVID-19. Researchers at Rutgers University have just reported in journal […]
Chip Measures Stiffness of Extracellular Matrix to Spot Disease
Living cells inside our bodies are normally surrounded by an extracellular matrix, a supporting structure, that contains substances such as collagen and enzymes that help cells to function properly. When disease, particularly cancer, is present, the extracellular matrix tends to stiffen. This stiffening can be an indicator of disease arrival and it (Read more...)
Table-Top Robot Uses AI to Make Blood Draws, Insert Catheters
Researchers at Rutgers University have developed a robot that utilizes artificial intelligence, along with near-infrared and ultrasound imaging, to automatically make blood draws and insert catheters in small blood vessels. The device could take the guesswork out of blood draws, which are frequently challenging when performed manually, and reduce t (Read more...)
Point-of-Care HIV Diagnostics for Low Resource Regions: Interview with Jesse Lehga, VP at Diagnostics for the Real World
DRW (Diagnostics for the Real World), a company with headquarters in San Jose, California, and Cambridge, United Kingdom, has developed the SAMBA II, a point-of-care diagnostic device for the detection of infectious diseases, including HIV and HCV, for use in low-resource and/or remote regions. The system employs nucleic acid amplification to detec (Read more...)
Hybrid Infrared-Optical Microscope for Pathology Studies
When imaging tissues microscopically, pathology labs have to stain the samples to see the cellular shapes and structures within. This is not trivial and requires expertise, time, and related costs. Infrared light has the capability to help visualize biomedical samples without staining, but the wavelengths of such light make it incompatible with opt (Read more...)
Pill-Sized Chemical Heater for Point-of-Care Diagnostic Tests
Researchers at the University of Toronto have developed a miniaturized chemical heater that can precisely heat biological samples during diagnostic tests, but does not require electricity or any specialized equipment to work. The low-cost technology is based on the exothermic reaction that occurs when lithium encounters water, and the precise shape (Read more...)
Stain and Label-Free Microscopy Enables Imaging of Extracellular Vesicles
Researchers at the Beckman Institute of the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign have developed a method that employs ultrashort laser pulses to visualize extracellular vesicles in tissue samples without using stains or labeling compounds. An increase in the number of these small vesicles is known to be associated with cancer, whereby c (Read more...)
Lensless Microscopy Chip for Diagnostic Applications
Researchers at the University of Connecticut have developed a lensless microscope that allows an observer to enjoy an enormous field of view. Instead of a lens, the system relies on a diffuser that lies between the object being imaged and the camera sensor. This novel technology could greatly help clinicians to assess diagnostic tissue samples [&he (Read more...)
Lensless Microscopy Chip for Diagnostic Applications
Researchers at the University of Connecticut have developed a lensless microscope that allows an observer to enjoy an enormous field of view. Instead of a lens, the system relies on a diffuser that lies between the object being imaged and the camera sensor. This novel technology could greatly help clinicians to assess diagnostic tissue samples [&he (Read more...)
Robotic Phlebotomist Draws Blood, Automates Hematology Analysis
Engineers at Rutgers University have developed a robot that autonomously draws patient blood and immediately performs hematology analysis. Such technology may help to speed up patient care, free clinicians to do other tasks, and even reduce the number of failed IV starts. The device was recently tested in a clinical trial for the first time [&helli (Read more...)
Credit Card Sized Diagnostic Lab Plugs into Smartphone
Researchers at the University of Cincinnati have developed a tiny portable diagnostic device that can detect the presence of specific pathogens in a saliva sample, and relay the results to a doctor when plugged into a smartphone. The device can potentially diagnose a wide array of diseases, including malaria, HIV and Lyme disease, and could [&helli (Read more...)
Plasma Protein Levitation Technique Could Provide New Diagnostic Tool
Researchers at Michigan State University have developed a technique to levitate plasma proteins using a magnetic field. The technique provides very accurate information on the density of the proteins, and could reveal signatures of disease, potentially allowing clinicians to diagnose various conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, more easily. The (Read more...)
Genomic Profiling for Precision Medicine: Interview with David Spetzler, Caris Life Sciences
Caris Life Sciences, a Dallas-based innovator in molecular science focused on fulfilling the promise of precision medicine, has developed the MI Genomic Profiling Similarity (GPS) score to compare the molecular characteristics of specific tumors against those in the Caris database. This allows clinicians to identify the molecular subtype of their p (Read more...)