THAT could be a big step towards rapid early detection!
Researchers at the University of Exeter (England) are currently developing a device that can be used to self-monitor for various diseases such as: Long Covid or Diabetes, but also physical changes such as menopause can be tested. All it takes is a little prick on the finger!
But how does this new test device, which was now presented at the British Science Festival in Exeter, work?
How does the device work?
With the instrument from the company Attomarker, the finger is pricked. The resulting blood (around 10 microliters, significantly less than a normal blood sample) is dripped onto a test strip.
The blood sample flows over a so-called array, i.e. a collection of sensors. Meanwhile, the strip is illuminated from below. The technology can be used to detect various biomarkers. And they help diagnose diseases. And it does so extremely quickly: the result should be available within seven minutes.
A stationary device is currently still required for this test. The English scientists are working on a portable version that can be connected to one’s own mobile phone.
This means: The test results are then displayed directly on your own smartphone.
Which diseases can be detected?
Long Covid disease can already be diagnosed using this test. Within the next year, children’s allergies should also be successfully detected, and in 2024, menopause, a person’s fertility and a wide range of analyzes on the health of one’s own body.
In the coming years, sepsis, liver health, hepatitis and diabetes will be added to the repertoire.
The big goal: a home test for Alzheimer’s. To do this, the concentration of the protein tau in the blood should be measurable, which appears more frequently in Alzheimer’s patients and “tangles” itself in the brain and thus limits its performance.
Later, according to the researchers, it might even be possible to diagnose early signs of Alzheimer’s or predict a person’s risk of developing the disease. Previously, this required expensive brain scans or a lumbar puncture, i.e. a removal of nerve fluid in the lumbar region.
How much does the device cost and how much does the test cost?
The gray box, which can be used together with an iPhone, should cost around 350 euros. The cost of a test strip, on the other hand, is around 15 euros.
Andrew Shaw, chemistry professor at the University of Exeter and managing director of Attomarker, says: “You then have something like a laboratory in your hands.” However, any test results should always be clarified and examined by a doctor.
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