A team of USC Viterbi School of Engineering researchers recently announced the development of a new prototype for a portable instrument capable of early-stage malaria detection.
Details of the portable optical diagnostics system (PODS) prototype featured in ACS Sensors outline the process of detecting a byproduct generated by all species of the malaria parasite, resulting in a rapid screening for all malaria strains.
The current prototype developed by USC researchers can analyze an unprocessed, whole blood sample in 10-15 minutes. Officials noted that with only 500 μL of blood, it could achieve sensitivity levels needed for an early-stage diagnosis.
“With PODS, we can do rapid, broad population screening for malaria in low-resource environments. When combined with currently available therapeutics, this could represent a tipping point in the global fight against malaria,” said Andrea Armani,
corresponding author and the Ray Irani chair in Engineering and Materials Science.
Authors said PODS have three primary components: a laser, a detector, and a magnet.
When a sample of blood is placed between the laser and the detector, the amount of light that makes it to the detector decreases as the blood blocks it. If hemozoin is present, even less light shines through it.
At high concentrations, even in blood, it is readily apparent if hemozoin is present because the nanocrystal is good at blocking light. As levels decrease to values indicative of early-stage malaria, researchers said it becomes harder to detect the presence of hemozoin.
Researchers said they are now working on the next generation of the device to improve its ruggedness and further reduce the sample volume to under 200 μL of blood.