New sensor for diagnosis of infectious diseases in development
A University of Glasgow professor has received funding to develop a new type of sensor to diagnose infectious diseases. Jon Cooper, Wolfson Chair of Bioengineering at the University, will work with colleagues at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to develop a new generation of portable devices capable of quickly and accurately determining the cause of an infection. The sensor, which exploits ultrasound and the mechanical energy it carries to actuate fluids and perform molecular diagnostic tests on a low-cost disposable platform, is being developed to help diagnosis of genital ulcer disease, which affects millions of people worldwide and greatly increases the risk of HIV infection.1 It could be used for a range of medical conditions including home kits for sexual health and GP-based tests for respiratory disease. Cooper said: "We've received almost £60,000 from NHS Greater and Glasgow and Clyde to benchmark this technology against existing methods already in use by doctors. 2 It's the first step towards turning the results of research into a commercially-available product. "The sensors we're developing have a great deal of potential for delivering healthcare in the developed and developing world, as well as field testing for food standards, veterinary health and environmental biomarkers." Cooper will be joined on the project by Julien Reboud and Rab Wilson of the Biomedical Research Division of the University's School of Engineering, Andrew Winter of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde's Sandyford Sexual Health service, and Rory Gunson of the West of Scotland Specialist Virus Laboratory.
