Faster blood test analysis ‘could be possible with new sensor technology’

A new type of sensor capable of detecting multiple proteins and enzymes in a small volume of blood has been developed, offering the potential for faster blood test analysis in future.

Created by the University of York, the biosensor combines light and electricity to detect multiple disease biomarkers in one smaller sample of blood, an advance that offers numerous benefits for speeding up diagnostic healthcare processes.

These silicon photonic biosensors take advantage of both the photonic and the electrical properties of silicon, creating new modalities for sensing on a microscale basis. Since it also requires a smaller amount of blood to be sampled, it is less stressful for patients.

The team is looking to test the technology by looking for signs of urinary tract infections in urine samples. These conditions have a high resistance to antibiotic treatment, but if this biosensor can identify biomarkers early, it is more likely that the correct course of antibiotic treatment can be prescribed straight away.

Professor Thomas Krauss at the University of York's Department of Physics said: "Not only can this new technology speed the process up, but it can test for a number of proteins and enzymes together in just one sample, increasing the chances of a successful and timely diagnosis."

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