Tainan researchers unveil ‘smart’ card for blood tests

TAIPEI, Taiwan – A research team at National Cheng Kung University in Tainan unveiled Thursday a pocket-sized blood test card that can identify blood type and finish cross-matching in just minutes.

Unlike conventional examinations that require an entire test tube of blood, the appropriately named smart blood card needs less than one cubic centimeter of blood from the finger to come up with results within five minutes, said Chang Hsien-chang, a professor of biomedical engineering who lead the research team.

Chang’s team is confident the efficiency and low cost of the smart blood card will cater to mid-to-low end markets such as medium- or small-sized hospitals, where blood bank centrifuges are usually used to check blood samples.

Chang said his team has been in talks with a major medical equipment manufacturer to partner on producing smart blood cards.

Future variants of the card could be used for testing blood for dogs and other animals, he added.

Source: China Post

Category: Technology & Devices, Top Story