Taiwan develops hand-cranked blood type tester in one minute — ScienceAlert

Researchers at National Taiwan University have developed a portable hand-cranked device that can determine blood type and hematocrit level from a small drop of a sample within one minute. The device requires no electricity or specialized operator training, ScienceAlert reports.

How the device works

The operator turns a handle, and centrifugal force moves a drop of blood through a system of winding channels. In them, the sample mixes with antibodies that cause blood cells to clump together. The resulting clusters are trapped in small gaps in the device.

Three separate channels use different antibodies. The blood type can be determined by identifying which channel retained the cell clusters. The amount of material stopped in the gaps makes it possible to assess hematocrit, an indicator of the level of red blood cells in the sample. It can be useful for detecting significant blood loss or anemia.

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Results of the first tests

The authors tested the device on 21 clinical samples and compared the results with readings from automated hospital analyzers. According to the researchers, the results showed strong agreement: the mean bias was 0.126%, while the 95% limits of agreement ranged from −0.63% to 0.88%.

The handle's rotation speed did not affect measurement accuracy, so the operator does not need to maintain a specific pace. The device measures 180 × 60 × 50 mm, making it portable.

At the same time, the technology is at an early stage of validation. The device covers eight main blood groups, but is not yet intended for rare groups or samples with excessively high or low hematocrit. The next stage is expected to involve larger studies at several medical centers and testing of the device outside the laboratory. The results were published in the journal Biosensors and Bioelectronics.