Localization of "Point-of-Care Diagnostic Kits" to Facilitate Testing in Underprivileged Areas
Experts from a knowledge-based company have, for the first time, developed the technology to create point-of-care diagnostic kits that perform the entire laboratory process, from sample entry to final diagnosis.
According to Mehr News Agency, the knowledge-based company Fanaavaran Rizatrasheh Ofogh, based at the Innovation Center of Noshiravan University of Babol, has developed intelligent products in microfluidic systems, offering solutions from concept to final product. The company specializes in the production and development of fully automated diagnostic platforms in various sectors, including medical diagnostics, veterinary industries, food industries, safety testing, and molecular diagnostics.
In today's world, due to the damage caused by the outbreak of diseases, controlling and preventing them has become a top priority. Timely diagnosis of a disease is often the starting point for any effective control program. Currently, various methods are used for disease diagnosis, with immunoassay methods like ELISA and molecular diagnostic methods such as PCR being among the most common.
However, these tests often require specialized users and relatively expensive laboratory equipment, making them difficult to access in underdeveloped and rural areas. Moreover, due to the time-consuming and sensitive nature of these tests, the number of tests an operator can perform in one day is limited, and if the number of tests is high, delays of up to a week may occur.
Furthermore, even when tests are performed by skilled operators, there is always the possibility of errors or contamination of samples and reagents. Given these challenges, there is a growing demand for a biosafe, biocompatible, low-cost, automated, portable, and accessible platform for diagnosing various diseases.
The centrifugal microfluidic system offers a small, inexpensive, single-use device for measuring various biomarkers and diagnosing diseases automatically, without the need for manual intervention. This system provides an ideal platform to address all the aforementioned challenges in diagnostic testing.
As efforts continue to improve efficiency, particularly in medical applications, this device is lightweight and portable (a disk with a diameter of less than 15 cm that fits into a disk player). By injecting a very small volume of the desired sample (whole blood or other biological fluids), the diagnostic process is automatically performed, and results can be read in a short period of time.
In the laboratory-on-a-disk platform, tests are conducted in a closed environment free from contamination, which enhances accuracy and significantly reduces errors. Additionally, the automated testing process not only minimizes operator errors but also increases speed. Moreover, the low cost of the disk player and its ease of use make this platform suitable for deployment in remote areas.
For automation, the necessary reagents and fluids for the tests are preloaded into the disk during its manufacturing. Therefore, to perform a test, the disk only needs to be placed on the disk player, and the sample is injected into the disk. The test protocol is then executed automatically in a sealed, safe environment.
Fanaavaran Rizatrasheh Ofogh Company, with the goal of creating a suitable platform for automating medical diagnostic tests and measuring biomarkers in the country, began its official activities in 2022 at the Incubation Center of the Babol Noshirvan Industrial University. The company focuses on producing point-of-care diagnostic kits based on centrifugal microfluidic technology.
Abbas Ramyar, a faculty member at the Babol Noshirvan Industrial University and Chairman of the Board of this knowledge-based company, explained to Mehr News Agency that the technology developed by their experts is essentially a "laboratory on a disk." Instead of relying on an operator to perform the test, the entire laboratory process is implemented on the disk.
Ramyar added that this technology has gained global attention in recent years, and similar kits are already being produced in Germany. Their company is the first in Iran to have acquired the technical know-how for this product.
He also mentioned that the first product will be available by the end of 2024, and highlighted that this kit performs the entire laboratory process—from sample entry to blood separation and final diagnosis. Key features of this kit include full automation, high accuracy and response speed, no need for specialized users, and easy access. This makes it possible to use these kits anywhere in the country, even in areas with limited resources.
Ramyar pointed out that the kit could diagnose prostate cancer, and efforts are underway to enable the detection of HPV and HIV as well. He emphasized the interdisciplinary nature of the technology, with experts in mechanical engineering, microfluidics, biomedicine, electronics, and optics working together to make significant strides in health and treatment.
