Point-of-care diagnostics

Patients could soon provide a pin-prick blood sample in the comfort of their home, and minutes later, be discussing the test results with their doctor thanks to a new Australian technology.

The technology, a mobile phone-sized computer that can perform complex analytical tests on blood, saliva or other biological samples, has been developed by Melbourne-based company, MycroLab Pty Ltd.

This versatile technology allows a wide range of tests to be performed in the field on a single device.

In a move towards commercialising the technology, MycroLab will work with Genetic Technologies, a leading provider of genetic diagnostic testing.

"With this technology, we will be able to provide point-of-care testing and diagnosis to patients who may have previously waited days - or weeks - for results because of rural isolation or the logistics of sending samples to a laboratory," says Mr Geoff Newing, Chief Operating Officer of Genetic Technologies.

The unit also has bio-screening abilities. One of the first tests MycroLab intends to adapt to the new technology is a test for bird flu.

The mobile phone-sized lab is lightweight and can be easily be carried by health officers in a small briefcase holding enough test chips to screen every passenger on an aeroplane.

"While the bio-security and medical aspects of the technology are of great interest to us, we also see broader applications for the technology," he says.

"The technology could be used for point-of-care genetic disease testing for livestock, remote minerals analysis, testing industrial wastewater, for agriculture and soil monitoring, plant analysis, even in the area of food safety."

Unlike other hand held devices, the MycroLab device can be very quickly re-programmed and reconfigured to include new or updated tests.

"With this single device, an entire range of diagnostic tests can be performed using multiple sample cards that are simply inserted into the mini computer and results calculated within a short period of time," he says.

"Any changes that may be required to the test are simply integrated into a new sample card and the handheld computer reads the updated program from the new card.

"The ability to make changes to the tests is especially relevant to a number of influenza strains where experts warn that diagnostic tests will need to be constantly refined as many viruses can mutate very quickly," says Mr Newing.

"While other diagnosis kits are being stockpiled in a pack-and-forget fashion, experience is telling us many diseases are going to be too smart for this older strategy.

"Importantly," Mr Newing says, "the MycroLab device does not require highly qualified personnel to operate and obtain accurate readings."

Mr Newing says the MycroLab technology allows users to perform complex tests on location, eliminating the need for samples to be sent to a laboratory.

"Even the most complex diagnostic tests should only take the handheld unit an hour to complete, as compared with a number of days for a test sent to a laboratory."

MycroLab Director, Mr Greg Eaton, says the diverse capability designed into the MycroLab platform allows new tests to be added to the handheld device very easily.

"We have invented a system where a diagnostic test normally performed in a large full-scale laboratory setting can be shrunk incredibly rapidly - in a matter of months for some tests - and then routinely performed on our handheld unit." he says.

Genetic Technologies and MycroLab are currently working on a number of tests that can be delivered using the MycroLab platform.