Blood testing is about to take a leap into the future. A team of researchers has developed a method that could transform these exams from a marathon of waiting to a sprint of efficiency, thanks to technologies that operate on scales so small they defy imagination. Unlike Theranos' empty promises (remember his “criminal” epic?), this time science seems to have produced concrete and verifiable results.
A gigantic revolution. Indeed, microscopic
A team led by researchers from the KTH Royal Institute of Technology has described a faster and more precise method of elasto-inertial microfluidics. The technique, published on Nature Microsystems & Nanoengineering (I link it to you here), controls the movement of tiny particles in fluids by exploiting both the elastic properties of the fluid and the forces that come into play when the fluid moves.
Selim Tanriverdi, PhD student at KTH and lead author of the study, highlights the versatility of this improved technique for its potential use in three different fields:
- Medical tests: rapid separation of cells or other particles in blood samples.
- Environmental monitoring: removal and analysis of pollutants in water.
- Production: development of better materials through more efficient separation of components.
From microplastics to blood tests
Curiously, the development of this method has its roots in a project to monitor and remove micro and nanoplastics in water, funded by the European Commission. Tanriverdi had worked as a researcher on this project, called MONPLAS.
How the microfluidic device works
Imagine a microscopic maze designed specifically for blood. This labyrinth is made of tiny channels, thinner than a human hair, but capable of handling many drops of blood at a time.
Now, instead of using ordinary water in this labyrinth, scientists use a special fluid. A kind of elastic liquid jelly. It can flow like water, but at the same time it can stretch and return to its original shape, a bit like a rubber band would.
When blood flows through this labyrinth of channels together with this special fluid, something magical happens. Different parts of the blood (such as red blood cells, white blood cells, and other particles) begin to “dance” in predictable ways. Some move in the center, others on the sides.
This “dance” of particles allows scientists to separate and analyze the different components of blood much more quickly and accurately than before. It's as if they created an automatic sorting system, but on a microscopic scale.
Implications for blood tests
Tanriverdi says: “We have demonstrated how sample throughput can be increased within our microfluidic channel. This would reduce the process time for the blood test, which is crucial for a patient.”
The fraudulent 'fantasy' of Theranos, which had claimed to be able to perform hundreds of tests from a single drop of blood, could really come true, 20 years later.
The future of blood tests
This new microfluidics technique offers concrete hope for the future of ultra-rapid blood testing and beyond. The ability to manipulate particles on a microscopic scale could lead to:
- Faster and more precise diagnoses
- Reduction of costs for medical tests
- Improved environmental monitoring
- Advances in the production of advanced materials
Of course, the lesson of Theranos has taught us to be cautious when faced with revolutionary promises in the field of medical diagnostics. However, this new approach to microfluidics, based on solid scientific principles and verifiable research, offers genuine hope for the future of blood testing and many other applications.
Because the real revolution, as always, comes not from grandiose promises, but from patient, meticulous and verifiable scientific work.
