New at-home blood-testing device may soon enable people with chronic illnesses to monitor their condition every day and send results electronically to their doctors.
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‘New home blood-testing device may better monitor chronic illnesses. Patients with chronic diseases can benefit greatly from the at home blood testing device as it is a more preventative and personalized form of care which could improve their quality of life.’
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The lab is run by Alexis Vallée-Bélisle, who also holds a Canada Research Chair in Bioengineering and Bio-nanotechnology. Read More..
His first goal is to get the biosensor to detect three biomarkers – urea, potassium, and creatinine – in a drop of blood. People with kidney disease and heart disease typically need to keep an eye on these markers. Currently, blood testing is a multi-step process that usually requires patients to have blood drawn in a clinic or lab.
"After blood samples are collected in a hospital or clinic, they get sent to a central analysis lab, which is typically located off-site, then the results are forwarded to the doctor and finally shared with the patient," said Vallée-Bélisle. "Our technology aims to change that so that patients and doctors can get immediate results as part of daily monitoring. This will allow them to take fast action if something is out of range."
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"Our prototype can already detect blood urea levels – now we're working on electrodes to measure potassium and creatinine," said Vallée-Bélisle.
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In addition to the NSERC grant, the project also received $240,000 in funding last year from the Quebec Ministry of the Economy and Innovation.
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"We believe that, like diabetics with blood glucose meters, patients with other chronic illnesses would benefit greatly from home blood testing, especially during periods when their condition is unstable," said Vallée-Bélisle. "This more preventative and personalized form of care could improve their quality of life."
But the technology is still several steps away from being ready to use. Among other things, the biosensor prototype must go through a series of tests to make sure it can accurately detect all three markers. The device's blood urea sensing capabilities are now being tested in a hospital setting under the direction of Dr. Vincent De Guire, a clinical biochemist at Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont.
Once this testing is complete, the designers and engineers will work on developing a low-cost, portable device that's easy to use, much like the blood glucose meters used by diabetics.
One clear sign this technology has a lot of potential: multinational Roche Diagnostics recently inked a sponsorship agreement with Nanogenecs to guide the strategic direction to commercialize the technology.
By the time it's ready for market, Vallée-Bélisle hopes that Nanogenecs – a company he founded with four partners and that is also backed by investors in Toronto, Boston, and Philadelphia – will have found investors in Quebec interested in funding the invention's marketing phase.
Source-Newswise
