Emergency Diagnostics, Homeland Security, Epidemiological Preparedness and the high cost of the Health Care Systems have increased demand for affordable and mobile point of care (POC) devices with highest sensitivity, specificity and rapid time to result. We have developed pocket sized systems for point of care and field based tests based on fluorescence read-out. The core consists of battery operated, 90 gram electro-optical units with optional wireless data transfer, which have been optimized to achieve highest accuracy and sensitivity paired with simplicity of use. The robust systems have been applied to molecular diagnostics such as DNA based testing, immunodiagnostics as well as environmental monitoring and agricultural testing. We will show examples of DNA testing, testing of drugs and toxins, cell based assays and water monitoring. We will discuss drivers and rationale for mobile testing platforms and address critical points such as sample preparation and sampling problems e.g. target delivery in small volumes. ESE's battery-operated handheld and mobile testing platforms have been shown to provide sensitive, accurate, and specific results, as well as rapid turnaround. The stand-alone devices demonstrate operational and physical robustness, and they can be manufactured to be affordable. Some underlying assays work directly from clinical samples such as urine or blood.

Date Published: 15 April 2008
PDF: 10 pages
Proc. SPIE 6945, Optics and Photonics in Global Homeland Security IV, 69450H (15 April 2008); doi: 10.1117/12.782171

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 6945:
Optics and Photonics in Global Homeland Security IV
Craig S. Halvorson; Daniel Lehrfeld; Theodore T. Saito, Editor(s)