A portable device to measure blood hemoglobin

A new, portable, low cost, and easy to use device can now test hemoglobin content in a single drop of blood in less than 30 seconds. In a conventional set up to measure hemoglobin, a clinician is required to draw blood with a needle, which is then transported to a lab, where test results are accessible to a doctor after almost 4 hours.

The new device can measure hemoglobin with a single drop of blood, which can be taken by pricking the finger with a needle in the clinic itself. The device is cost effective and measures hemoglobin with high sensitivity and specificity. It is important to measure hemoglobin because its low amounts confirm anemia, which during pregnancy increases the risk for preterm delivery.

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore in collaboration with scientists from PathShodh Healthcare, Anand Diagnostics Laboratory, and Samatvam Diabetes Endocrinology Centre, Bangalore have published their results in the high impact journal Nature Scientific Reports.

“The device is expected to have a big impact on public health for the diagnosis of anemia, especially in underdeveloped countries of the world”, say scientists. According to the WHO global database, almost 58% of pregnant women in India are anemic, which accounts for 20–40% of maternal deaths. Since the newly developed device has no special storage or handling requirements, it can be used in rural settings as well.

The new device uses disposal strips for loading the drop of blood, eliminating the risk for diseases such as HIV. The device is based on two aza-heterocyclic compounds called pyridine and imidazole that help in the direct sensing of hemoglobin by the device. To date, the device has been tested on more than 100 clinical samples. The device can effectively measure hemoglobin in a range of 0.5 to 20.8 gram per deciliter blood in less than a minute. “This study represents a major step forward in realizing robust and scalable, direct electron transfer point of care Hemoglobin sensor utilizing aza-heterocyclic receptors”, claim scientists.

For Vigyan Prasar- Indian Science News and Features Service.

Reference: Scientific Reports 7: 42031.