open-source-miniature-fluorimeter-to-monitor-real-time-isothermal

Open-Source Miniature Fluorimeter to Monitor Real-Time Isothermal Nucleic Acid Amplification Reactions in Resource-Limited Settings

Traditional methods to detect and quantify nucleic acids rely on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and require the use of expensive thermocyclers with ...

Rice University

Each day, approximately 830 women and 7400 newborns die from complications during pregnancy and childbirth. Improving maternal and neonatal health will require bringing rapid diagnosis and treatment to the point of care in low-resource settings. However, to date there are few diagnostic tools available that can be used at the point of care to detect the leading causes of maternal and neonatal mortality in low-resource settings. Here we review both commercially available diagnostics and technologies that are currently in development to detect the leading causes of maternal and neonatal mortality, highlighting key gaps in development where innovative design could increase access to technology and enable rapid diagnosis at the bedside.

Point-of-care diagnostics to improve maternal and neonatal health in low-resource settings.

: Cervical cancer mortality rates remain high in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and other medically underserved areas due to challenges with implementation and sustainability of routine screening, accurate diagnosis, and early treatment of preinvasive lesions. : In this review, we first discuss the standard of care for cervical cancer screening and diagnosis in high- and low-resource settings, biomarkers that correlate to cervical precancer and cancer, and needs for new tests. We review technologies for screening and diagnosis with a focus on tests that are already in use in LMICs or have the potential to be adapted for use in LMICs. Finally, we provide perspectives on the next five years of technology development for improved cervical cancer screening and diagnosis in LMICs. : Innovation toward improved molecular and imaging tests is needed to enable effective, affordable see-and-treat approaches to detect and treat cervical precancer in a single visit. Current molecular tests remain too complex and/or costly for widespread use. Especially with imaging tests, decision support may improve performance of new technologies.

Kathryn Kundrod

Department of Bioengineering

Rice University

Open-Source Miniature Fluorimeter to Monitor Real-Time Isothermal Nucleic Acid Amplification Reactions in Resource-Limited Settings

Kathryn Kundrod

.css-o250i3{font-size:18px;font-family:Open Sans,sans-serif;line-height:21.6px;}Department of Bioengineering

Rice University

Open-Source Miniature Fluorimeter to Monitor Real-Time Isothermal Nucleic Acid Amplification Reactions in Resource-Limited Settings

Department of Bioengineering