Domestic researchers have developed a new testing technology that can quickly and accurately check major blood values with only a small amount of blood. Existing blood tests required large equipment, a significant amount of blood, and skilled personnel, but this new technology enables rapid testing.
The Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) announced on the 3rd that a research team led by professors from the Department of Mechanical Robotics Engineering has developed a technology to simultaneously analyze the shape and electrical properties of red blood cells using a microfluidic electrochemical impedance sensor (MEIS) and to derive six key blood indicators based on this analysis. This research achievement was published in the international journal Analytical Chemistry, published by the American Chemical Society (ACS), on the 26th of last month and was selected as a cover paper.
The six indicators used in clinical blood tests are red blood cell count, hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit (HCT), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC). The blood test developed by the research team showed accuracy matching over 95% with existing equipment.
MEIS is a device that measures changes in electrical signals while flowing a small amount of blood through fine channels (microfluidic channels). When red blood cells expand or contract, the electrical properties of the cell membrane and the interior change, and MEIS can read this change to calculate blood indicators. There have been technologies that diagnose with a drop of blood, but most only measured the number or volume of cells, without reflecting changes in the shape of red blood cells or the hydration status around hemoglobin. This new technology allows for more precise analysis by including these aspects.
The research team observed through a microscope the process of red blood cells absorbing water to swell or conversely dehydrating to shrink, and measured the electrical responses of the blood through the microchannel at various frequencies. This led to the completion of a new analytical model that reflects the condition of cells in the blood, plasma, and the water status around hemoglobin in red blood cells.
The professor noted, "We have developed technology that accurately measures blood indicators by reflecting changes in the moisture content of blood," adding, "This is an important study that will lead to the development of real-time blood testing devices that can be used immediately in emergency rooms or on-site diagnostics."
References
Analytical Chemistry (2025), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.5c01251