Hand-cranked device tells blood type and red cell levels in 1 minute
When someone is badly injured, doctors urgently need two facts: the patient's blood type, so that a transfusion is safe, and their hematocrit, the share of the blood made up of red blood cells, which reveals blood loss or anemia. Hospitals measure both with large machines that need electricity and trained staff, which are often unavailable in ambulances, disaster zones or remote clinics.
A hand-cranked microfluidic device developed by a team led by professor Chien-Fu Chen at National Taiwan University can quickly determine a patient's blood type and hematocrit with just 3 microliters of blood. This innovative tool, published in Biosensors and Bioelectronics, eliminates the need for electricity and specialized training, making it ideal for first responders in emergency situations.
The device works by spinning the blood through preloaded channels with A, B, and Rh blood group reagents. If the blood matches, red blood cells clump together and are trapped in a narrow gap, forming a red band that indicates the blood type and the length of the band reveals the hematocrit. In tests on 21 patient samples, the hand-cranked device's results matched those of standard hospital analyzers, and the readings remained consistent regardless of the cranking speed.
The entire process takes about one minute, bringing essential blood tests directly to the hands of those who need them most.
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