A new low-cost point-of-care test for liver function has been developed

ABSTRACTSerological detection of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 is essential for establishing rates of seroconversion in populations, detection of seroconversion after vaccination, and for seeking evidence for a level of antibody that may be protective against COVID-19 disease. Several high-performance commercial tests have been described, but these require centralised laboratory facilities that are comparatively expensive, and therefore not available universally. Red cell agglutination tests have a long history in blood typing, and general serology through linkage of reporter molecules to the red cell surface. They do not require special equipment, are read by eye, have short development times, low cost and can be applied as a Point of Care Test (POCT). We describe a red cell agglutination test for the detection of antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD). We show that the Haemagglutination Test (“HAT”) has a sensitivity of 90% and specificity of 99% for detection of antibodies after a PCR diagnosed infection. The HAT can be titrated, detects rising titres in the first five days of hospital admission, correlates well with a commercial test that detects antibodies to the RBD, and can be applied as a point of care test. The developing reagent is composed of a previously described nanobody to a conserved glycophorin A epitope on red cells, linked to the RBD from SARS-CoV-2. It can be lyophilised for ease of shipping. We have scaled up production of this reagent to one gram, which is sufficient for ten million tests, at a cost of ∼0.27 UK pence per test well. Aliquots of this reagent are ready to be supplied to qualified groups anywhere in the world that need to detect antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, but do not have the facilities for high throughput commercial tests.

Download Full-text

AnemoCheck-LRS: an optimized, color-based point-of-care test to identify severe anemia in limited-resource settings

BMC Medicine ◽

10.1186/s12916-020-01793-6 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Marina S. Perez-Plazola ◽

Erika A. Tyburski ◽

Luke R. Smart ◽

Thad A. Howard ◽

Amanda Pfeiffer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Screening Tool ◽

Point Of Care ◽

Low Cost ◽

Limited Resource ◽

Absolute Difference ◽

Severe Anemia ◽

Detection Range ◽

Point Of Care Test ◽

Colour Scale ◽

Life Saving

Abstract Background Severe anemia is common and frequently fatal for hospitalized patients in limited-resource settings. Lack of access to low-cost, accurate, and rapid diagnosis of anemia impedes the delivery of life-saving care and appropriate use of the limited blood supply. The WHO Haemoglobin Colour Scale (HCS) is a simple low-cost test but frequently inaccurate. AnemoCheck-LRS (limited-resource settings) is a rapid, inexpensive, color-based point-of-care (POC) test optimized to diagnose severe anemia. Methods Deidentified whole blood samples were diluted with plasma to create variable hemoglobin (Hb) concentrations, with most in the severe (≤ 7 g/dL) or profound (≤ 5 g/dL) anemia range. Each sample was tested with AnemoCheck-LRS and WHO HCS independently by three readers and compared to Hb measured by an electronic POC test (HemoCue 201+) and commercial hematology analyzer. Results For 570 evaluations within the limits of detection of AnemoCheck-LRS (Hb ≤ 8 g/dL), the average difference between AnemoCheck-LRS and measured Hb was 0.5 ± 0.4 g/dL. In contrast, the WHO HCS overestimated Hb with an absolute difference of 4.9 ± 1.3 g/dL for samples within its detection range (Hb 4–14 g/dL, n = 405). AnemoCheck-LRS was much more sensitive (92%) for the diagnosis of profound anemia than WHO HCS (22%). Conclusions AnemoCheck-LRS is a rapid, inexpensive, and accurate POC test for anemia. AnemoCheck-LRS is more accurate than WHO HCS for detection of low Hb levels, severe anemia that may require blood transfusion. AnemoCheck-LRS should be tested prospectively in limited-resource settings where severe anemia is common, to determine its utility as a screening tool to identify patients who may require transfusion.

Download Full-text

Host-Modulation Therapy and Chair-Side Diagnostics in the Treatment of Peri-Implantitis

Biosensors ◽

10.3390/bios10050044 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (5) ◽

pp. 44 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Timo Sorsa ◽

Joseph Bacigalupo ◽

Mauno Könönen ◽

Pirjo Pärnänen ◽

Ismo T. Räisänen

Keyword(s):

Point Of Care ◽

Low Cost ◽

Diagnostic Tools ◽

Low Grade ◽

Active Matrix ◽

Point Of Care Test ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Prevention And Treatment ◽

Potential Benefits ◽

Low Grade Inflammation

Previous studies report periodontitis and peri-implantitis being able to induce systemic low-grade inflammation, which is known to be associated with increased risk for some systemic medical disease such as cardiovascular disease. In this regard, recent studies have shown that host modulation therapy (HMT) together with traditional mechanical and surgical treatment not only cease the progression of periodontitis but also reduce the systemic collagenolytic biomarkers in both oral fluids and circulation. This suggests that the corresponding adjunctive HMT-medication could be effective in the prevention and treatment of dental peri-implantitis, as well. Furthermore, low-cost, safe, and practical oral fluid active matrix metalloproteinase-8 (aMMP-8) lateral-flow immunotests have been proposed as point-of-care/chair-side diagnostic tools to detect peri-implantitis and periodontitis, and to monitor their effective resolutions, while using various therapeutic strategies, including host modulation. This study reports the potential benefits of HMT-medication in the prevention and treatment of dental peri-implantitis among five patients (four of five were current/ex-smokers). In addition, the aMMP-8 point-of-care test diagnosed 20 peri-implantitis and 20 healthy controls correctly. In conclusion, this study and previous studies support the potential effectiveness of HMT-medication(s) and point-of-care/chair-side technologies in the treatment and diagnostics/monitoring of peri-implantitis. However, more studies are needed to further confirm this.

Download Full-text

A Paper-Based Multiplexed Transaminase Test for Low-Cost, Point-of-Care Liver Function Testing

Science Translational Medicine ◽

10.1126/scitranslmed.3003981 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 4 (152) ◽

pp. 152ra129-152ra129 ◽

Cited By ~ 224

Author(s):

N. R. Pollock ◽

J. P. Rolland ◽

S. Kumar ◽

P. D. Beattie ◽

S. Jain ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Liver Function ◽

Point Of Care ◽

Low Cost ◽

Liver Function Testing ◽

Function Testing

Download Full-text

Design and Development of Point of Care Test and Optical Reader for Early Screening of Kidney Related Disorder

10.1101/2020.07.01.181024 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Pankaj Shihvare ◽

Satyam Mohla ◽

Tejal Dube ◽

Alok Verma ◽

Rohit Srivastava

Keyword(s):

Point Of Care ◽

Low Cost ◽

Early Screening ◽

Related Disorder ◽

Detection Range ◽

Spot Urine ◽

Point Of Care Test ◽

Optical Reader ◽

Colorimetric Assays ◽

Urine Testing

AbstractLow-cost, paper-based colorimetric assays for early screening of albumin, creatinine and their ratio have been developed. The developed methods are noninvasive and require only 10µl of the urine sample. A reflectance-based optical reader has also been developed for the quantification of the albumin and creatinine. The developed method is based on spot urine testing which is advantageous when compared to the conventional 24-hour urine collection. The detection range of albumin and creatinine assays is 10-150 mg/dl and 25–400 mg/dl, respectively. The developed assays and optical reader were tested with the chronic kidney diseased patient’s samples at KEM Hospital, Mumbai.

Download Full-text

Harmony COVID-19: a ready-to-use kit, low-cost detector, and smartphone app for point-of-care SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection

10.1101/2021.08.12.21261875 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Nuttada Panpradist ◽

Enos Kline ◽

Robert G Atkinson ◽

Michael Roller ◽

Qin Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Workers ◽

Point Of Care ◽

Low Cost ◽

High Viral Load ◽

Respiratory Pathogens ◽

Rna Detection ◽

Point Of Care Test ◽

Viral Transport ◽

Viral Particles ◽

First Time

RNA amplification tests sensitively detect SARS-CoV-2 infection, but their complexity and cost are prohibitive for expanding COVID-19 testing. We developed Harmony COVID-19, a point-of-care test using inexpensive consumables, ready-to-use reagents, and a simple device accommodating up to 4 samples simultaneously. Our ready-to-use, 4-plex reverse-transcription, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) can detect down to 0.38 SARS-CoV-2 RNA copies/μL and can report in 17 min for high viral load samples (5,000 copies/μL). Harmony detected 97% or 83% of contrived samples with ≥0.5 viral particles/μL in nasal matrix or saliva, respectively. Evaluation in clinical nasal specimens in viral transport media (VTM, n=101) showed 100% detection of RNA extracted from specimens with ≥0.5 SARS-CoV-2 RNA copies/μL, with 100% specificity in specimens positive for other respiratory pathogens. VTM is non-ideal for Harmony system, yet extraction-free analysis of VTM specimens (n=29) had 95% success in specimens with ≥1 RNA copies/μL. Usability testing performed first-time by healthcare workers showed 95% accuracy

Download Full-text

A haemagglutination test for rapid detection of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2

10.21203/rs.3.rs-91353/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Etienne Joly ◽

Alain Townsend ◽

Pramila Rijal ◽

Julie Xiao ◽

Tiong Kit Tan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High Performance ◽

Point Of Care ◽

Low Cost ◽

Glycophorin A ◽

Red Cell ◽

Special Equipment ◽

Cell Agglutination ◽

Haemagglutination Test ◽

Point Of Care Test ◽

Laboratory Facilities

Abstract Serological detection of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 is essential for establishing rates of seroconversion in populations, detection of seroconversion after vaccination, and for seeking evidence for a level of antibody that may be protective against COVID-19 disease. Several high-performance commercial tests have been described, but these require centralised laboratory facilities that are comparatively expensive, and therefore not available universally. Red cell agglutination tests have a long history in blood typing, and general serology through linkage of reporter molecules to the red cell surface. They do not require special equipment, are read by eye, have short development times, low cost and can be applied as a Point of Care Test (POCT). We describe a red cell agglutination test for the detection of antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD). We show that the Haemagglutination Test (HAT) has a sensitivity of 90% and specificity of 99% for detection of antibodies after a PCR diagnosed infection. The HAT can be titrated, detects rising titres in the first five days of hospital admission, correlates well with a commercial test that detects antibodies to the RBD, and can be applied as a point of care test. The developing reagent is composed of a previously described nanobody to a conserved glycophorin A epitope on red cells, linked to the RBD from SARS-CoV-2. It can be lyophilised for ease of shipping. We have scaled up production of this reagent to one gram, which is sufficient for ten million tests, at a cost of ~0.27 UK pence per test well. Aliquots of this reagent are ready to be supplied to qualified groups anywhere in the world that need to detect antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, but do not have the facilities for high throughput commercial tests.

Download Full-text

A Smart Phone Based Handheld Wireless Spirometer with Functions and Precision Comparable to Laboratory Spirometers

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s19112487 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (11) ◽

pp. 2487 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Ping Zhou ◽

Liu Yang ◽

Yao-Xiong Huang

Keyword(s):

Point Of Care ◽

Low Cost ◽

Signal Transmission ◽

Smart Phone ◽

Forced Expiratory Volume ◽

Chronic Obstructive ◽

Signal Acquisition ◽

European Respiratory Society ◽

Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ◽

Point Of Care Test

We report a smart phone based handheld wireless spirometer which uses a Lilly type sensing flowhead for respiratory signal acquisition and transmits the data to smartphone or other mobile terminals with Bluetooth signal transmission for data processing and result display. The developed spirometer was demonstrated to be able to detect flow rates ranging from 0–15 L/s with an accuracy of 4 mL/s, and can perform tests of flow volume (FV), forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), peak expiratory flow (PEF), etc. By having the functions and precision comparable to laboratory spirometers, it satisfies the American Thoracic Society and European Respiratory Society (ATS/ERS) proposed performance requirements for spirometer. At the same time, it is low cost, light and handy, low power consumption battery-powered. The test of 12 cases of subjects using the developed spirometer also indicated that it was easy to use for both providers and patients, and suitable for the Point of Care Test (POCT) of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma at general-practice settings and homes.

Download Full-text

The Strategic Alliance between Clinical and Molecular Science in the War against SARS-CoV-2, with the Rapid-Diagnostics Test as an Indispensable Weapon for Front Line Doctors

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms21124446 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (12) ◽

pp. 4446

Author(s):

Antonio Vittorino Gaddi ◽

Fabio Capello ◽

Leonardo Aluigi ◽

Pier Luigi Antignani ◽

Annapaola Callegaro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High Speed ◽

Strategic Alliance ◽

Point Of Care ◽

Low Cost ◽

Real Life ◽

Diagnostic Purpose ◽

Rapid Diagnostics ◽

Immunochromatographic Strip ◽

Actual Problem ◽

Point Of Care Test

Our work concerns the actual problem of spread of SARS- CoV-2 outbreak which requires fast and correct as possible answer. In current scenario, the need of rapid answer put away the imperative of proper methodology. We focus on the serogical immunoassay for diagnosis of Covid-19 as an important weapon not only for diagnostic purpose, but also for epidemiologic one. The right equilibrium between high speed, low cost and accuracy is obtained with easy-to-use decentralized point-of-care test as the colloidal gold-based immunochromatographic strip assay which detects IgM and IgG antibodies directed against SARS-CoV-2. As our aim is to evaluate the efficacy of Covid-19 rapid tests and of serological assays in real-life settings, we designed a research protocol aimed to establish how to use correctly these diagnostics, taking into account the different possible clinical and epidemiological scenarios.

Download Full-text

Prevalence of Chronic Hepatitis B and C in Malaysia- results from a community-based screening campaign.

10.21203/rs.3.rs-60491/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Lim ZZ ◽

Teo JS ◽

Tan Soek Siam ◽

Rosmawati Mohamed ◽

Goh KL ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Chronic Hepatitis ◽

Hepatitis B ◽

Chronic Hepatitis B ◽

Point Of Care ◽

Low Cost ◽

Point Of Care Test ◽

Hbv Vaccination ◽

Chronic Hbv ◽

Chronic Hcv

Abstract Introduction The epidemiology of hepatitis, which is apparently endemic in Asia, is still poorly documented in Malaysia. Available statistics are modelled estimates based on expert input or estimated from small studies on special populations. We therefore determined the prevalence of chronic hepatitis B and C in Malaysia based on a large sample data from a screening campaign. Methods A total of 10,914 subjects participated in the hepatitis screening campaign in 2018 and 2019. A low-cost Point-of-care test, which has previously been validated, was used to screen for HBsAg and anti-HCV. All screen positive subjects were recalled to undergo confirmatory serology tests and nucleic acid tests. Results We estimated 1.17% or 238,971 Malaysian adults aged 20 or older had chronic HBV, while only 0.74% or 151,144 adults had chronic HCV. Young adults below age 30 years had very low prevalence of HBV (0.09%). Women had lower prevalence of HBV and HCV, Chinese had the highest prevalence of HBV while Malay had the highest prevalence of HCV. Conclusion Young adults seems to be protected from HBV perhaps owing to the introduction of universal HBV vaccination since 1989. Chronic HBV however remains prevalent in older adults especially among the Chinese. Chronic HCV is uncommon in Malaysia.

Download Full-text