Blood Test Lab-on-a-chip

of researchers from Caltech (California InstituteSince present-day blood counting machines are
of Technology) have developed a micro-sizedlarge, complicated, costly, and usually require a
laboratory capable of analyzing minute bloodlarge amount of blood as well as a trained
samples to determine the exact levels of red andtechnician to operate them, their use in space is
white blood cells as well as other bloodprecluded. Instead, NASA's astronauts collect
components. The research, funded by NASA, wasblood samples in orbit for subsequent analysis
aimed at creating a small device capable ofback on Earth. NASA is anxious to develop small
performing simple blood tests in space forand simple blood testing equipment that could be
astronauts of the future. Currently there is noused for long space flights, such as the planned
way to perform these tests in outer space duemissions to the moon and Mars, for rapid
to the large size and complexity of existing bloodevaluation of astronauts' medical conditions.
analysis devices. Future development of theLikewise, the researchers foresee potential of
device might lead to cheap, micro-sized, automaticemployment of the device in neonatal units where
blood analyzers that could rapidly perform DNAdrawing of large volumes of blood is
and even cancer tests, as well as use in neonatalprecluded.......More.
units .The device built by Professor Tai uses micro-sized
Professor Yu Chong Taivalves, pumps, and flow chambers that operate
A new cell phone-sized blood analysis device isand fit together in what is described as a
being developed for NASA's National Spacelab-on-a-chip. The device requires only a single
Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) bydrop of blood to give a reading rather than two
Professor Yu-Chong Tai and his team fromfull 10 ml syringes required by conventional blood
Caltech. In the making since April 2004, thecounting machines. The blood sample in Professor
miniature blood analysis device has beenTai's device undergoes several processing steps.
developed ever since by about a dozenFirst, the sample is pulled into a mixing chamber
researchers working to transform the crudewhere anti-coagulation chemicals are added. The
apparatus into a functional, space-capablesolution is then diluted two or three-fold and the
technology. The chip-based device will perform adiluted sample then enters a cell separator, which
simple blood test in about two minutes. Apartseparates molecules based upon size. Since WBCs
from counting red and white blood cells (RBCs andare larger, they are separated from the smaller
WBCs), the team believes the new technologyRBCs. The counting mechanism of the final stage
has great potential as a tool for analyzing fluidsis based on a unique micro-Coulter counter that
such as blood plasma and urine and even as a toolcalculates the number of WBCs and RBCs
for cancer detection and DNA analysis.independently.