Point of Care Blood Cell Analysis

The Full Blood Count or FBC is a test that enumerates the different types of cells in a sample of blood and is probably the most commonly performed diagnostic test. We are developing a new platform technology that will enable the FBC to be performed at the Point of Care (PoC). A new generation of low-cost, high technology health monitoring and diagnostic micro-systems will be made. Key to the system is the integration of microfluidic sample processing with new electrical cell detection technologies. This provides new capabilities including low cost, extremely small sample volumes, integration of analytical techniques. It has diverse applications in areas from neonatal analysis, chronic disease management, monitoring of an aged population, animal and veterinary medicine, minimising lab-testing of animals and diagnosis of aids-HIV (CD4 testing). The blood is tested using a tiny fingerprick sample, and the test provides most of the parameters currently measured with large-scale machines. It opens up haematology applications that are not, and cannot be served by existing technologies and will find applications in GP surgeries for initial diagnosis and home testing for disease management and monitoring.