Scientists have developed a method to produce a cheap and reusable diagnostic “lab on a chip”, that can cost just 1p per chip.
It is designed to handle small-volume samples for a varied number of assays. It can isolate rare cells and count them and is created using an ordinary printer.
The researchers behind the technology say it could herald a diagnostic revolution, similar to low-cost genomic sequencing.
The team has published a paper in the USA journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. It says: “Through its massive cost reduction and usability we anticipate that our platform will enable greater access to diagnostic facilities in developed countries as well as point-of-care diagnostics in developing countries.”
pnas.org
