An international team, led by Monash University, says the technology is able to quickly perform ABO and rhesus blood typing tests, and then clearly spell out the results for a user-friendly diagnosis.
The test is the first equipment-free, bioactive paper-based diagnostic device capable of reporting multiple conditions in written text, Prof Wei Shen, the team leader, says in the 'Angewandte Chemie' journal.
Prof Shen said the research was inspired by the film adaptation of Rowling's popular novel 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets'.
"In the film Harry Potter interrogates Tom Riddles' diary by writing on a page of paper in the Diary 'Do you know anything about the Chamber of Secrets?'; and the paper responded with a 'Yes' in writing.
"The artist's vision showed us that non-conventional mechanisms for reporting results using paper-based sensors should be explored. And now we have been able to create that same unambiguous response with a blood test," he added.
The new test uses the same principles of determining blood type as traditional measures, mixing blood sample and blood typing antibodies and awaiting reaction, according to the scientists. (MORE)
| |
|
| |
