New ‘lab-on-a-chip’ aims for portable diagnostics

The chip, known as ‘TriSilix’, is a ‘micro laboratory’ reportedly able to perform a miniature version of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on the spot, with results present in ‘a matter of minutes.’ Each lab-on-a-chip contains a DNA sensor, temperature detector and heater to automate the testing process, with a typical smartphone battery able to power ‘up to 35 tests’ on a single charge.

PCR detects viruses and bacteria in biological samples such as bodily fluids, faeces or environmental samples and is usually performed in a laboratory, meaning test results aren’t immediately available.

Researchers are said to have developed a series of methods to produce the chips, made from silicon, in a standard laboratory rather than large cleanroom facilities. Researchers claim to have cut the costs and time it takes to fabricate the chips, enabling the potential for them to be produced anywhere in the world.