IBM scientists have unveiled a new lab-on-a-chip device for screening infections and biomarkers

   In this new age of nanotechnology, the possibility for developing an easy-to-use medical without the need to visit the family doctor or perform blood tests  is one step closer to reality thanks to the amazing feats of biomedical engineering undertaken by IBM. The technology unveiled by IBM and other companies will no doubt revolutionize the medical device industry in the years to come by manufacturing cheap and highly sensitive medical devices.

   On another Examiner related article, the inner workings and basic concepts of a lab-on-a chip was reviewed. In brief, lab-on-a chip device are miniaturized medical devices made of silicon that contain several ports (entries) and exits on both ends, and an intricate and elaborate network of capillaries in the center of the chip. Lab-on-a-chip medical devices employ both nano- and micro fluidic technologies in order to use the least amount of space, material and biological sample which can allow the simultaneous diagnosis of multiple samples.

  The basic principle of this device is to be able to apply a very small amount of biological material (blood, urine or sweat) on one end of the lab chip. The biological fluid is then quickly adsorbed via capillary action which distributes the sample through a convoluted network of capillaries and tubules where it mixes with one or more antibodies specific for a virus, bacteria or peptide in the reaction chamber. The binding of an antibody to a specific antigen will cause the formation of stable protein complexes which are then washed multiple times with small amount of buffer in order to get rid of non-specific complexes.  Finally, these complexes are detected by a laser that projects on the other side of the chip and the amount of light diffracted is measured and displayed on an LED screen. In simplest terms, large globular complexes diffract or bend the direction of the laser much more than unbound antibodies. Thus the greatest amount of laser that is bent by will be indicative of the presence of these complexes. For a more comprehensive review of this technology, click on the Youtube video below.

Advantages

    Similar to dipstick pregnancy tests sold at pharmacies in terms of simplicity, IBM scientists hava created an easy-to-follow diagnostic test with the development of an ingenious lab-on-a-chip kit. As previously mentioned above, the amount of biological sample required for performing a test is small (a few micro-litters), which is about fifty times less than the amount required by a glucometer for monitoring sugar levels in diabetics. Essentially, you can obtain results in the matter of minutes whereas performing a standard ELISA test may take up to five to six hours at best. Moreover, the results are reliable, reproducible and fast.

   However, it is not known at this point whether the lab-on a-chip device is disposable or can be rewashed several times and re-loaded with antibodies prior to making another screen. It is most likely to be a disposable chip but we will know more about this medical prototype in the near future.

  Scientists have shown that this technology is even more sensitive and reliable compared to standard ELISA techniques employed by clinical laboratories. For instance, someone containing a modest viral or bacterial infection may be detected by a lab-on-a-chip whereas an ELISA test may not detect it at that stage of infection. Finally, the fact that samples are run on a silicon chip makes it more reliable as it only require the user  to  load the sample onto the chip whereas an ELISA tests require a lot more user intervention. So the days of undergoing the painful procedure of venipuncture and sending samples to blood clinics may be gone with the advent of this technology.

Final thoughts-  Since attending a training workshop at the NIH campus a year ago on "Medical applications of nanotechnology", the pace of progress on this field has been remarkable. It is conceivable that a future miniature version of the lab chip, as the one developed by IBM and other companies, will become an integral feature of everyday conventional communication devices such as cell phones or even in pens. It may not be that long before you will possess your own “medical” lab at home to perform a quick and reliable test.

Why IBM?

  It is obvious that the struggling powerhouse computer giant is tapping into a sector of the economy that has not been affected by the recession that much while downsizing its manufacturing capacity of computers. Most people are not aware that IBM has been trying to find novel solutions healthcare problems since the 1950s. Some of their most recent accomplishments with regards to innovative branch of the company of the past two decades include:

1. Developing a digital mammography database in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania

2. Have opened up collaborations with the pharmaceutical company Scripps in order to understand and predict the rates of Influenza mutations which can lend support for the development of better vaccines.

3. Similar to the Melinda and Gates Foundation, they have created and funded the World Community Grid, an initiative that funds projects on a variety of biomedical related issues such as cancer, malaria and dengue.

For more information:

Toward one-step point-of-care immunodiagnostics using capillary-driven microfluidics and PDMS substrates" by Luc Gervais and Emmanuel Delamarche, appears in Lab on a Chip, Volume 9, Issue 23, pp. 3330 to 3337 (December 2009

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