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Patented a lab-on-a-chip for brain desease detection  

Pisa Modena - 12.03.2019 - Patented a lab-on-a-chip for brain desease detection
A novel biomedical device has been realized and patented at NEST Laboratory (Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto Nanoscienze of the National Research Council, Pisa, Italy). The invention is a lab-on-a-chip: it is as small as a computer chip, but it performs lab-analyses on its surface. It can detect biomarkers: tiny amounts of molecules in blood that are present only in case of pathologies. Matteo Agostini and Marco Cecchini developed the devise capable of detecting a biomarker related to brain pathologies, as severe or mild traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and glioblastoma multiforme cancer (GBM).
In future, this lab-on-a-chip could be used for detecting mild and severe TBI in patients before performing the computerized axial tomography (CAT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or monitoring the GBM recurrences by means of fast and cheap blood analysis. As a consequence, this device could reduce the huge direct (medical analysis) and indirect (missed diagnosis) costs related to TBI pathologies, and could be helpful for medical personnel and patients to monitor GBM recurrences.
The lab-on-a-chip is based on nano-acoustics, namely acoustics exploiting nanotechnology. Acoustic waves are generated on the chip surface which interact with the molecules and liquids that are placed on top of it. Thanks to nano-sensors and micro-transducers realized at NEST, this device can manipulate fluids and perform molecular assays. This lab-on-a-chip will be explored for other pathologies, too.


Link https://www.cnr.it/it/news/8600/un-microchip-rileva-traumi-e-tumori-cerebrali-brevettata-una-scoperta-del-laboratorio-nest
 


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