Scientists pointed out that the blood test is currently conducted within two to three hours. In case of crowded clinics, results can be expected within a week. Blood tests for specific indicators are widely used during medical examinations, monitoring recovery processes in hospitals, and accurately diagnosing certain diseases. The university confirmed that rapid and timely diagnosis will allow for faster treatment of some diseases, such as coronary heart disease, which affects one in every ten working-age individuals in Russia.
Valery Tuchin, head of the Department of Optics and Biophotonics at the Institute of Physics and head of the Scientific and Medical Center at Saratov State University, stated: “Based on microscopic glass fibers with a hollow core thinner than a human hair, we have created a biosensor that allows us to monitor deviations in blood serum. We recruited volunteers with changes in blood parameters that corresponded with healthy individuals, processed the obtained data, and proved that the device operates with high sensitivity.”
Tuchin added: “Without wasting the time of qualified staff, and using chemical reagents and complex equipment, diseases can be identified within 3 minutes. In addition to using this data for clinical purposes to treat a single patient, the results of the rapid scan can become the basis for building a database on public health during epidemics or assessing the impact of environmental exposure.”
The increased capability of the new device to monitor biomarkers compared to traditional blood analysis methods is due to the use of the principle of total internal reflection of light from the walls of the fibers. The same physical phenomenon is used in studio light devices to focus radiation on specific points, which explains the appearance of mirages in the air under certain conditions.
