Technology pioneered by a new Oxford company could save lives from a tiny drop of blood.
And the hi-tech hand-held devices could also help Olympic athletes go for gold.
Oxford Biosensors, a spin-off company formed by Oxford University academics Prof Allen Hill, Prof Peter Dobson, Dr Luet Wong and Dr Peter Leigh, will develop hand-held devices with disposable test strips that can measure the presence and quantity of substances in a tiny drop of fluid such as blood.
The technology enables testing to be carried out in seconds on low-cost strips such as those used by diabetics. The strips could also be used by paramedics transporting an overdose casualty to hospital. The results could be transmitted by mobile links to a doctor who could prepare for treatment and save valuable time for the patient.
The idea resulted from the integration of enzyme development, electrochemistry and physical micro-engineering within Oxford University's Departments of Engineering and Chemistry.
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