Microcyte – Complete Blood Count at Home
To carry out low-cost blood counts, researchers are developing a pocket-sized haematology device. With an innovative image-based microfluidic flow cytometric approach, it is supposed to make blood cell analysis at people’s home feasible.
Factsheet
- Schools involved School of Engineering and Computer Science
- Institute(s) Institute for Human Centered Engineering (HUCE)
- Research unit(s) HUCE / Laboratory for Microelectronics and Medical Devices
- Funding organisation Others
- Duration (planned) 01.04.2023 - 30.09.2025
- Head of project Prof. Dr. Cédric Bessire
- Partner Gebert Rüf Stiftung
- Keywords Blood analysis, blood count, medical device, medical engineering
Situation
Viral or bacterial infections and anaemia are conditions which usually require a doctor’s visit. To help diagnose these conditions, trained medical personnel perform complete blood count analysis using expensive flowcytometric lab equipment. The goal of this project is to develop a new product called Microcyte that enables blood counts at a much lower cost and directly at the point of care.
Course of action
In this project, researchers are developing a pocket-sized haematology device that makes a low-cost complete blood cell count possible. With an innovative image-based microfluidic flow cytometric approach, their solution makes blood cell analysis at people’s home feasible. Thus, mobile doctor or nursing staff working in the fast-growing home-care health sector could be equipped with the diagnostic point of care device as well as medical-scarce regions that do not have access to hospitals/doctor' surgeries. Currently, the experimental setup of the diagnostic device and the microfluidic chip is being improved to meet the criteria for later certification. A prototype shall be implemented and enhanced according to the needs of the customer and the requirements for a CE mark and FDA approval.
