The things we can achieve with technology these days is truly amazing. Sure, you could scoff at our apparent dependency on our phones, how kids just Google things now without seeking the answers on their own, or how Netflix ensures we may never go outside again. But looking past the perceived problems, some technological breakthroughs have actually made the world a better place. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the health field.
The latest breakthrough, coming from the University of Montreal, offers a new and easier way for patients to receive the blood test. The new tech would work much like a diabetic blood testing device, allowing doctors to perform the test and receive the results in a matter of minutes. This not only offers a faster, simpler, and more affordable option to test blood, but the immediate results could indeed save a patient’s life.
Alexis Vallée-Belisle, a University of Montreal chemistry professor and the Canada Research Chair in bioengineering and bio-nanotechnology, spoke on the practicality and importance of this tech.
“Nowadays if you go see a physician to have a blood test, they’ll send you to a clinic. A couple vials of blood will have to be analyzed by a technician with specialized techniques, and the results will only come back a week later. What these tests are looking for is antibodies — proteins that are generated by the body in response to viruses or bacteria. The highlight of the technique we developed is you put a drop of blood on our electrodes, and in five or 10 minutes you can know if you have the antibody. And in principle, you can detect any antibody you want.”
Learn more about this breakthrough and how it works in this article from CBC News.