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Friday, 24th April 2009 (1227 views)

Nanotechnology could be used to develop new blood-testing kits for use in GP's surgeries, researchers at the University of Southampton have suggested.

The Nano Research Group has been granted over £1 million of funding in an effort to utilise the technology - which often involves the use of gold - and develop low-cost tools that would enable blood to be tested without the need for it to be sent away to laboratories.

Professor Ashburn, head of the research group, explained that the current kits have "limitations" for use outside of laboratories that could hinder the detection of conditions such as cancer.

"However, one-dimensional nanostructures such as nanowires are ideal for the purposes of diagnosis, since they can be integrated into microfluidic chips that provide a complete sensor system," he explained.

Elsewhere in the sector, scientists at Michigan State University have successfully used nanotechnology to improve the image quality generated by infrared detectors, Nanowerk News reports.

 

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