Biology & biomedicine Technological offers Folding paper device for an early detection of infections in chronic wounds
Folding paper device for an early detection of infections in chronic wounds
- Details
- Category: Technological offers
-
25 Nov 2021
Scientists from the CSIC and from the UPC university have developed a ‘point-of-care’ device for an early detection of infections by means of analysing body fluids such as saliva or exudates from chronic wounds.
Wounds that require from weeks to several months to start healing are considered chronic which have an high risk of infection. The longer they take to start healing, the more severe infections can be. For the patient, the effects are not only physical pain but also a limitation in social activities as the wounds can reduce or prevent mobility. A chronic wound that doesn’t heal for a long time can drive to a general sepsis, which requires hospitalisation, and in the worst cases to a fatal outcome.
That’s why is essential to detect infections early and before they are visible at naked eye. Diagnostic by microbiological analysis (to detect pathogens microbes) it is usually slow and results are not always precise.
Scientists at the Instituto de Microelectrónica de Barcelona (IMB-CNM) of the CSIC and at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya have developed a ‘point-of-care’ device for an early detection of infections by means of analysing body fluids such as saliva or exudates from chronic wounds.
It has been called InfectCheck and it is a microfluidic device on paper folding which has immunocapture molecules highly specific to detect an enzymatic biomarker. When the biomarker is detected, it triggers a fast change in the colour intensity which reveals the infection state.
InfectChek has been successfully tested for the diagnostic of chronic wounds by analysing exudates and sputum and measuring as a biomarker the myeloperoxidase enzyme (MPO) levels. Nevertheless, to be implemented it is required preclinical validation still.
The device is a fast, cheap and simple method for the early detection of an infection by analysing saliva, wounds exudates, bool or sweat samples. It requires only five minutes for the analysis. It is not need complementary equipment and it can be used by the same patient. It is, therefore an easy tool to be implement in screening programmes and monitoring populations at increased risk of getting infections.
Contact:
Isabel Gavilanes Pérez
Vicepresidencia Adjunta
de Transferencia del Conocimiento - CSIC
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
