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Spanish researchers at the Ikerlan Technological Research Centre, near Vitoria-Gasteiz, have patented a device for the rapid diagnosis of infectious diseases caused by bacteria including Salmonella, Campylobacter and Listeria, the most common causes of food poisoning. The researchers are currently adapting the device for the detection colorectal cancer.
The bedside, or doctor’s office device incorporates advances in micro-nanotechnologies, creating, in effect, a lab-in-miniature. Reagents are mixed with a sample from the patient, and the result of the analysis is obtained in a matter of minutes, enabling treatment to be started immediately.
The researchers say the technology could be applied to the diagnosis of inherited diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, and metabolic disorders. In colorectal cancer the device is able to detect biomarkers indicating a predisposition to the disease, and to diagnose both the presence and the stage of the disease.
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