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Lab-on-Chip Blood Test Predicts Sepsis Risk with 92% Accuracy

Powered by a six-gene signature that delivers results in under three hours, the PowerBlade test is slated to begin clinical trials this year.

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Dr. Claudia dos Santos, at Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute in Toronto, brought together a team of researchers to develop a new molecular-based blood test for predicting sepsis risk with high accuracy.

Overview

  • The Sepset signature flags patients at risk of developing sepsis within 24 hours by measuring expression of six genes in a blood sample.
  • The PowerBlade device uses microfluidics to automate nucleic acid extraction and amplification from a pinprick of blood and deliver results in under three hours.
  • Retrospective testing on 30 patient samples showed the platform achieved 92% accuracy in predicting sepsis onset.
  • Current sepsis diagnostics are often slow or only about 50% accurate early in the disease, contributing to a condition that causes 11 million deaths globally each year.
  • Researchers plan to begin clinical trials later this year to validate the prototype in emergency departments and remote community settings.