Translational Medicine: From the Lab to At-Home Testing

Diagnostics are a critical aspect of tracking human and animal health, however, tests done in a medical clinic or at home are not always accurate.  

“Point-of-care diagnostics today are kind of like old Polaroid cameras, they are fast, they are easy to use, relatively inexpensive but the quality of the photos is not good,” said chemistry Professor Chuck Henry.  “We think we have a chance to contribute high-quality data when and where it is needed with this technology that we have developed.”   

Henry, along with a robust research lab team, created a platform technology that can perform complex chemical reactions inside an easy-to-use and inexpensive device 

“The system that we designed is called capillary flow-driven immunoassays,” said Henry. “We figured out how to make fluidic circuits that allow us to carry out complex chemical reactions that amplify a positive chemical signal anywhere from 100 to 1,000-fold.” 

Using different types of samples, the device wicks liquid into a channel that then routes the sample through multiple chemical reactions. This leads to a much more accurate diagnosis.   

One current project focuses on patients with heart failure. Typically, patients would need to go to a clinic every few months for a blood test to monitor the disease’s progress. In those months between tests, heart failure can change very rapidly. Using an easy at-home test, patients can self-monitor using saliva to look for a biomarker that indicates a risk of hospitalization or death. With more frequent monitoring, doctors can determine when to bring patients to the clinic for further testing.  

This technology has myriad applications, including the diagnosis of COVID, HIV, and STIs. Another project, funded by the United States Army, is adapting this technology for water quality testing.  

Once the lab solves the complex system needed to make these various tests work, they are collaborating with Burst Diagnostics, Henry’s company, to commercialize the tests and get them in the hands of medical professionals and patients.