
Courtesy of Kiarash Sabet/UCLA
UCLA-developed handheld diagnostic lab kit capable of fully automated multiplexed and pooled testing
Cost-saving advance can fully automate pooled testing and detect multiple diseases
Using swarms of pinhead-sized magnets inside a handheld, all-in-one lab kit, UCLA researchers have developed a technology that could significantly increase the speed and volume of disease testing, while reducing the costs and usage of scarce supplies.
The automated tests can be easily manufactured, deployed and performed timely at a doctor’s office, health clinic or at mass testing sites in airports and schools at the onset of any major infectious disease. The UCLA-led research team was motivated by the lack of equitable access to testing during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic when only a handful of clinical laboratories were authorized to run tests. The technology breakthrough could help the authorities better prepare for future pandemics by decentralizing testing and maximizing the use of resources.
UCLA Samueli School of Engineering professor Dino Di Carlo of bioengineering and associate professor Sam Emaminejad of electrical and computer engineering co-authored a study, which was published this week in Nature. The paper outlined how the lab kit works and included findings from a clinical study with test samples from individuals who experienced COVID-19 symptoms. More than 100 test results using the lab kit were compared to the same samples tested for COVID-19 using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based molecular diagnostics performed as part of UCLA Health’s routine clinical care.
“Our handheld lab technology could help overcome some of the barriers of scarcity and access to tests, especially early in a pandemic, when it is most crucial to control disease spread,” said Emaminejad, who also holds a faculty appointment in bioengineering. “And beyond its potential to address issues of short supplies and high demand, it could be broadly adapted to test for many types of diseases in field and with lab-grade quality.”
Using a circuit board that controls a set of movable, 1-millimeter-sized magnetic discs known as “ferrobots” to transport samples through the diagnostic workflow of a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT), the researchers’ ultra-sensitive lab kit was able to detect the presence of genetic material from a virus — in this case, SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19. The steps to separate, sort, mix and amplify testing samples are all automated and performed at a miniaturized level inside the kit.
“This platform’s compact design and automated handling of samples enable easy implementations of pooled testing where you can test dozens of patient samples at the same time, and all with the same materials it currently takes to test just one patient,” said Di Carlo, who holds UCLA’s Armond and Elena Hairapetian Chair in Engineering and Medicine. “For example, you could test students in an entire college residence hall with just a few dozen test kits.”
By designing the kit for pooled testing, the system requires much lower amounts of reagent chemicals than those needed for testing the samples individually. Up to 16 samples were combined and tested at once in the team’s study. If the pooled test showed a positive result, subsequent tests would automatically take place within the same platform until the actual positive samples were identified. This entire process took between 30 to 60 minutes, depending on whether there were positive samples. Thanks to the technology’s assay miniaturization and pooled-testing capabilities, the chemical reagent costs could be reduced by 10 to 300 times.
Aside from being able to test for several diseases simultaneously, the platform also offers precision and robust automation. For example, in a pooled-testing with 16 samples, more than 300 lab operations, including mixing and sorting, were automated by the ferrobots — that is more than 3,000 individual movements, or actuations. In their reliability studies, the researchers showed that the ferrobots could perform more than 8 million actuations without mistakes.
Original Article: Handheld Diagnostic Lab Offers Point-of-Care Solution for Future Pandemics
More from: UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science | University of California Los Angeles
The Latest Updates from Bing
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Disease diagnostic tool
- Developing diagnostics for a deadly elephant disease
This past summer, staff at the Louisville Zoo noticed their three-year-old African elephant, Fitz, was less active than usual. A blood test confirmed that he had elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus ...
- Africa: As the World Watches, Africa Rises to Face the Infectious Disease Epidemic
The battle against infectious diseases neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Africa is a critical and complex issue that requires urgent attention. While the ...
- Researchers develop new method for detecting chronic GI disease in dogs
A research team led by the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences' (VMBS) Gastrointestinal Laboratory (GI Lab) has validated a new diagnostic index that will help ...
- AI Tool May Help Breast Cancer Patients Avoid Unnecessary Chemotherapy
November 30, 2023 - Researchers from Northwestern University have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) tool ... and the disease accounts for roughly 30 percent of all new female cancers annually.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) Diagnosis Market to Reach US$ 5,773.6 Million by 2030: Coherent Market Insights
Artificial intelligence diagnostics involves the use of advanced algorithms and cognitive computing to emulate human diagnostic skills and provide appropriate clinical diagnosis and treatment options.
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Decentralizing disease testing
- What do blood tests for von Willebrand disease measure?
To help diagnose von Willebrand disease or other bleeding disorders, a doctor will request various blood tests. These tests will measure the presence and activity of certain substances in the blood.
- Stall-side test for respiratory infection
New research shows that a simple stall-side blood test can determine whether a horse’s cough is caused by infectious disease or a chronic inflammatory condition. Research shows that a simple ...
- Specialized Testing for Inherited Retinal Dystrophies
Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases: “Genetic testing and diagnosis of inherited retinal diseases.” Foundation Fighting Blindness: “Vision Testing and Retinal Imaging in Clinical Trials ...
- 60 second test for heart disease
A simple 60-second test for heart disease has been developed by British doctors. From a single pinprick of blood, the hand-held device can tell who is at risk, those who need treatment ...
- Tests & Diagnosis
Tests & Diagnosis Exactly when do you go from having risk factors to having heart disease? These links take you to information on the tests a doctor uses to diagnose heart disease. Echocardiogram ...