A microchip has been developed which can detect disease in the air, paving the way for small portable diagnostic tools.
In a new study, NYU Tandon researchers in the United States have shown it was possible to develop and build microchips that could not only identify multiple diseases from a single cough or air sample, but could also be produced at scale.
Professor Elisa Riedo said the study opened up new horizons in the field of biosensing, with the potential for tests to be done anywhere, by anyone, using a device as small and portable as a smartwatch.
“Microchips, the backbone of smartphones, computers, and other smart devices, have transformed the way people communicate, entertain, and work.” Professor Riedo said.
“Similarly, today, our technology will allow microchips to revolutionize healthcare, from medical diagnostics, to environmental health.”
She said in a world grappling with a multitude of health threats, the need for quick, reliable, and easy-to-use home diagnostic tests had never been greater.
Study co-author Professor Davood Shahrjerdi said the team’s technology used field-effect transistors.
Professor Shahrjerdi said the miniature electronic sensors directly detected biological markers and converted them into digital signals, offering an alternative to traditional colour-based chemical diagnostic tests like home pregnancy tests.
“This advanced approach enables faster results, testing for multiple diseases simultaneously, and immediate data transmission to healthcare providers,” he said.
Read the full study: Nanoscale-localized multiplexed biological activation of field effect transistors for biosensing applications.
