HQ Team
October 22, 2024: A new handheld device can isolate biomarkers for different diseases using sound waves from a single drop of blood, in around an hour.
Usually, blood samples are collected to be tested in a lab to detect the presence of disease cause or progression. It generally takes a day to get the report.
Researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder have developed a new handheld device similar to the one used to test glucose levels in diabetics. The device scans a single prick of blood for biomarkers, and the results are available in an hour.
Acoustic pipette
The team says they used functional negative acoustic contrast particles (fNACPs). These cell-sized particles are designed to respond to pressure from sound waves and can be coated with different materials so that they capture a specific biomarker, like viruses or proteins.
A small sample of blood from a patient is mixed with these fNACPs and then placed into the handheld ‘ acoustic pipette’ device. The mixture is then blasted with sound waves, which then isolates the various biomarkers.
Then the blood and other components are flushed out. Fluorescent tags are then attached to the biomarkers and lit up with lasers, to calculate the amount present.
“We’re basically using sound waves to manipulate particles to rapidly isolate them from a really small volume of fluid,” said Cooper Thome, first author of the study. “It’s a whole new way of measuring blood biomarkers.”
“In our paper, we demonstrate that this pipette and particle system can offer the same sensitivity and specificity as a gold-standard clinical test can but within an instrument that radically simplifies workflows,” said Wyatt Shields, senior author of the study. “It gives us the potential to perform blood diagnostics right at the patient’s bedside.”
Accessibility
The technique has huge potential as an accessible device that can be used in small health clinic settings to test for a wide range of biomarkers, associated with many types of diseases or health conditions.
Handheld blood tests bridge the gap in healthcare accessibility, especially in rural or underserved areas where medical facilities may be limited. These devices enable family physicians to conduct comprehensive assessments in community clinics, ensuring that patients receive essential diagnostic capabilities without the need for extensive travel.
The market for handheld diagnostic devices that perform rapid blood tests from a finger prick has been experiencing significant growth, driven by several key factors. As of 2026, North America is projected to dominate the global medical device market, holding approximately 35% of the market share. This growth is attributed to a combination of strong healthcare infrastructure, rapid adoption of advanced technologies, and a favourable regulatory environment
Limitations
For now, the device is a proof of concept, and it will take time to transition into clinical use.
Technical challenges arise from the need for high-quality diagnostics within a portable format. Experts have noted that while several handheld devices have desirable features such as advanced imaging capabilities, none exhibit all the necessary characteristics to be deemed ideal.
The research was published in the journal Science Advances.
