A microfluidic device could assist with the challenge of detecting infectious agents such as HIV in remote areas of the world.
Samuel Sia at Columbia University in New York and his colleagues developed a low-cost assay that can identify HIV and syphilis using just 1 microlitre of blood. They tested their 'mChip' assay in Rwanda on more than 200 samples and found that the test was faster than its lab-based counterpart, but offered equivalent sensitivity and specificity.
The chip could enable rapid diagnosis of life-threatening infectious diseases in isolated locations, and provide important pre-screening of blood donations, the team says.
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Rapid HIV test for remote areas. Nature 476, 8 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/476008d
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/476008d
