UCLA team develops test kit to hasten disease diagnosis

According to the team, the automated tests – that use numerous pinhead-sized magnets inside a handheld, all-in-one lab kit - can be easily manufactured, deployed and performed in surgeries, clinics or mass testing sites at the onset of a major infectious disease.

The technology breakthrough could help the authorities better prepare for future pandemics by decentralising testing and maximising the use of resources.

UCLA Samueli School of Engineering Professor Dino Di Carlo (bioengineering) and Associate Professor Sam Emaminejad (electrical and computer engineering) co-authored a study, which has been published in Nature. 

The paper included findings from a clinical study with test samples from individuals who experienced COVID-19 symptoms. Over 100 test results using the lab kit were compared to the same samples tested for COVID-19 using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based molecular diagnostics performed as part of UCLA Health’s routine clinical care.

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“Our handheld lab technology could help overcome some of the barriers of scarcity and access to tests, especially early in a pandemic, when it is most crucial to control disease spread,” Emaminejad said in a statement. “And beyond its potential to address issues of short supplies and high demand, it could be broadly adapted to test for many types of diseases in field and with lab-grade quality.”