Low-cost, portable platform for diagnosis of HIV and HCV co-infections
McGill University, Montreal researchers have recently developed a paper-based electrochemical platform with multiplexing and telemedicine capabilities that can be used on-the-go. This may enable low-cost, point-of-care diagnosis of HIV and HCV co-infections within serum samples.
The commercially available, widely-used,rapid point-of-care tests for diagnosing sexually transmitted infections tend to be not affordable and accurate in quantifying concentrations of the disease markers within a sample, which help to determine the stage of the infection.The researchers discuss the design and testing of their device this week inBiomicrofluidic. When assessing the device’s sensitivity with spiked mouse serum samples, the researchers were able to detect HIV and HCV antibodies at 300 picograms per mL and 750 picograms per mL, respectively — values lower than currently existing HIV and HCV antibody tests.
“Our experimental setup consists of a paper device with eight electrochemical biosensors — for handy, one-time, disposable use — and a custom-made, handheld electrochemical reader, or potentiostat, to keep costs as low as possible,” explained Xinyu Liu, an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at McGill University. “It enables eight [simultaneous tests], four for HIV antibodies, and four for HCV antibodies,” Liu said, adding that makes the test broader than existing HIV and HCV point-of-care tests.
To run a test, the paper device is simply inserted into a slot on the potentiostat, and microliter drops of serum sample and reagents are added to each biosensor. Pressing a button triggers the electrochemical measurements.
The device is also compatible with existing internet-based and mobile network-based e-health systems. Data from the eight tests can be directly displayed on an LCD screen of the potentiostat or transmitted to a smartphone or personal computer, and then to a remote site — a centralized laboratory or hospital — via the mobile network or Internet for remote diagnoses.
The main advantage offered by the platform is its ability to run eight test for HIV and HCV in parallel within 20 minutes with high accuracy, sensitivity and specificity.
The next step for the researchers is to continue fine-tuning the device for practical use. “We’ll explore the stability of the paper device during long-term storage, and then begin real patient sample testing in Canada and Kenya,” said Liu. “Our long-term goal is to further extend the functionality of this diagnostic platform by targeting other molecular disease markers.”
Source: Science Daily
