Sound-wave Blood Test Gives Results in Minutes

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Patients could have medical conditions diagnosed faster after scientists developed sound-wave technology to deliver blood test results in as little as ten minutes.

A team at Saw Dx, a spin-out company from the University of Glasgow, has secured £1.8 million in funding to develop a handheld prototype that can produce results at a fraction of the cost because it removes the need for qualified technicians to test the samples.

Blood tests are carried out for conditions such as sexually transmitted diseases and infections such as tuberculosis and malaria. At present, patients often wait six to ten days before receiving their results because samples are sent to laboratories, where they are heated at various temperatures before DNA analysis can begin.

The new technology uses sound waves to analyse the blood, which is placed in a small cartridge. An acoustic microchip inside the chamber emits sound waves that shake up the blood cells. The cells break apart, releasing DNA, which can then be analysed for infection within minutes.

Julien Reboud, a lecturer at the university, said that the technology could bring down the cost of testing by 80 per cent, to £10, and would speed up treatment, particularly in developing countries, where access to hospitals can be limited. Home testing kits are also a possibility.

Dr Reboud said: “This is a major change in the way that the system works as the process currently takes too long. In the case of infectious diseases that is a problem because it means the infection is still spreading. The person will go away and might not come back.

“It is also a problem in the developing world because people might have to travel for days to visit a clinic but are unable to wait to get their results. The new test will allow a patient to go, do the test, sit in the waiting room for ten minutes and then be treated.”

The team has previously won £80,000 for its work from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Saw DX has now attracted £750,000 from the Scottish Investment Bank and IP Group, a backer of intellectual property-based businesses, to develop a working model.

A further £1.1 million has been pledged by the British government’s Biomedical Catalyst fund.

The team expects to complete the development phase in 18 months and hopes to see the technology used in hospitals three years from now.

The university believes there is great potential for the technology in the molecular diagnostic test market, which is worth £3 billion a year.

Jon Cooper, director and academic founder of Saw Dx, said: “Initial clinical tests of early prototypes with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have produced excellent results.”

Professor Cooper added: “We’re confident that additional funding to refine our design will result in excellent performance.”