Soon, Star-Trek style device to diagnose patients

Scientists are developing a Star-Trek style handheld testing device that can provide same day diagnosis from a patient's bedside.
University of Southampton researchers aim to develop a device similar to the medical tricorder in the fictional Star-Trek universe which was used to remotely scan patients for a diagnosis.
The new device could replace the current conventional diagnostic method, which is lengthy and is limited to single point measurements, due to the prohibitive costs and sample volumes required, preventing continuous monitoring of disease progression, researchers said.
The research, led by Dr Themis Prodromakis, will develop hybrid technology using electronic components as chemical sensors on printed circuit boards (PCBs).

The device can carry out diagnosis on the same day and at the point-of-care - potentially avoiding the need to send protein samples away to laboratories for chemical assessment and diagnosis.
"A project of this nature is the perfect illustration of how academia, manufacturing and the end user can come together to pool their knowledge and experience to make a real and valuable change," said Prodromakis, a Reader in Nanoelectronics and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Fellow (EPSRC) at the University of Southampton.
"There is a real opportunity for this new diagnostic tool to make a tangible difference to healthcare not only in the UK but in international markets as well," Prodromakis said.

The project is in collaboration with researchers in the Department of Infection and Immunity at Imperial College Healthcare NHS, who will carry out all clinical trials throughout the three-year project, and Newbury Electronics, a leading manufacturer of PCBs in the UK.