Browsing by Subject "Point-of-care"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5

Open Access
Aptamer-based point-of-care devices: Emerging technologies and integration of computational methods
(MDPI, 2023-05-22) Aslan, Yusuf; Atabay, Maryam; Chowdhury, Hussain Kawsar; Göktürk, Ilgım; Saylan, Y.; İnci, Fatih
Recent innovations in point-of-care (POC) diagnostic technologies have paved a critical road for the improved application of biomedicine through the deployment of accurate and affordable programs into resource-scarce settings. The utilization of antibodies as a bio-recognition element in POC devices is currently limited due to obstacles associated with cost and production, impeding its widespread adoption. One promising alternative, on the other hand, is aptamer integration, i.e., short sequences of single-stranded DNA and RNA structures. The advantageous properties of these molecules are as follows: small molecular size, amenability to chemical modification, low- or nonimmunogenic characteristics, and their reproducibility within a short generation time. The utilization of these aforementioned features is critical in developing sensitive and portable POC systems. Furthermore, the deficiencies related to past experimental efforts to improve biosensor schematics, including the design of biorecognition elements, can be tackled with the integration of computational tools. These complementary tools enable the prediction of the reliability and functionality of the molecular structure of aptamers. In this review, we have overviewed the usage of aptamers in the development of novel and portable POC devices, in addition to highlighting the insights that simulations and other computational methods can provide into the use of aptamer modeling for POC integration.
Open Access
A microfluidic erythrocyte sedimentation rate analyzer using rouleaux formation kinetics
(Springer Verlag, 2017-03) Isiksacan, Z.; Asghari, M.; Elbuken, C.
Red blood cell aggregation is an intrinsic property of red blood cells that form reversible stacked structures, also called rouleaux, under low shear rates. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), commonly performed in clinics, is an indirect inflammation screener and a prognostic test for diseases. We have recently developed a microfluidic system for rapid measurement of ESR from 40 µl whole blood employing the aggregation dynamics. In this work, we propose the use of an aggregation inducer, dextran polyglucose, for the preparation of multiple blood samples with differing aggregation dynamics. Using these samples, we characterized the performance of the system with three aggregation indices and under varying experimental conditions. Additionally, using the same underlying principle, we improved the system for ESR measurement using both venipuncture and fingerprick whole blood samples depending on the user needs. The results demonstrate that the system performs equally well with both samples, which validates the compatibility of the system for both laboratory and point-of-care applications where venous and capillary blood are the primary samples, respectively. The detailed characterization presented in this study legitimates the feasibility of the system for ultrafast and facile measurement of ESR in clinics and diverse off-laboratory settings.
Open Access
Microfluidic measurement of erythrocyte sedimentation rate and monitoring of erytrocyte aggregation
(Chemical and Biological Microsystems Society, 2016) Isiksacan, Ziya; Elbuken, Çağlar
We developed a novel microfluidic opto-electro-mechanical system and performed ultrafast, cheap, and low-sample volume measurement of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) from erythrocyte aggregation (EA). We also showed EA dynamics in real-time during measurements.
Open Access
Smart materials-integrated sensor technologies for COVID-19 diagnosis
(Qatar University and Springer Nature Switzerland, 2021-01-21) Erdem, Özgecan; Derin, Esma; Sağdıç, Kutay; Yılmaz, Eylül Gülsen; İnci, Fatih
After the first case has appeared in China, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose an omnipresent threat to global health, affecting more than 70 million patients and leading to around 1.6 million deaths. To implement rapid and effective clinical management, early diagnosis is the mainstay. Today, real-time reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR test is the major diagnostic practice as a gold standard method for accurate diagnosis of this disease. On the other side, serological assays are easy to be implemented for the disease screening. Considering the limitations of today’s tests including lengthy assay time, cost, the need for skilled personnel, and specialized infrastructure, both strategies, however, have impediments to be applied to the resource-scarce settings. Therefore, there is an urgent need to democratize all these practices to be applicable across the globe, specifically to the locations comprising of very limited infrastructure. In this regard, sensor systems have been utilized in clinical diagnostics largely, holding great potential to have pivotal roles as an alternative or complementary options to these current tests, providing crucial fashions such as being suitable for point-of-care settings, cost-effective, and having short turnover time. In particular, the integration of smart materials into sensor technologies leverages their analytical performances, including sensitivity, linear dynamic range, and specificity. Herein, we comprehensively review major smart materials such as nanomaterials, photosensitive materials, electrically sensitive materials, their integration with sensor platforms, and applications as wearable tools within the scope of the COVID-19 diagnosis.
Open Access
A snapshot of microfluidics in point-of-care diagnostics: multifaceted integrity with materials and sensors
(Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 2021-05-09) Akçeoğlu, Garbis Atam; Saylan, Y.; İnci, Fatih
Over four decades, point-of-care (POC) technologies and their pivotal applications in the biomedical arena have increased irrepressibly and allowed to realize the potential of portable and accurate diagnostic strategies. Today, in the light of these advances, POC systems dominate the medical inventions and bring the diagnostics to the bedside settings, potentially minimizing the workload in the centralized laboratories, as well as remarkably reducing the associated-cost and time. In contrast to the conventional technologies, microfluidics paves the way to create more efficient and applicable POC diagnostic devices through their inherent fashions such as minute volume of samples, easy manipulations, shorter assay time, and low-cost production. In this review, the current status and advancements of microfluidic systems along with the current limitations in the aspect of POC diagnostic strategies are elaborated. Further, the integration of novel materials and innovative sensing platforms to the microfluidic systems are comprehensively evaluated to address the real-world challenges for diagnosing various maladies at the POC settings.