"MIMIC" - Multifunctional Integrated Microsystem for rapid point-of-care TB IdentifiCation

One third of the world’s population is infected with TB and there are nine million new cases of active TB every year. While delays in diagnosing the disease result in a potential infection spreading, the diagnosis of TB on clinical grounds alone is difficult as patients often have only non-specific symptoms. Current diagnostic tests are facing major limitations, as they require samples to be sent to medical testing facilities and may take a further two days to perform, extending the time during which a patient is unsure and potentially infectious. This project aims at developing a ‘point-of-care’ system to diagnose TB, based on a blood sample from a finger-prick in a matter of minutes. It assembles a business-led consortium with a wide range of expertise, from clinical TB experts, closely involved with patients in three different universities across the UK, to engineering and biology.
The system comprises a low-cost disposable cartridge containing the sample and all the reagents required, interfaced with a reader that provides power, actuation and sensing. The manipulation of the drop of blood on the disposable cartridge is based on a patented innovation from the University of Glasgow, using the mechanical energy carried by sound waves to actuate liquids. The test is centered on a diagnostic chip using biomarkers, designed by MV diagnostics and created by Epigem Ltd that specifically detects the response of the human body to the tuberculosis pathogen. The large number of different (and proprietary) biomarkers has the potential to provide unprecedented sensitivity and specificity, within minutes, where current tests require hours or even days.