Early detection of HIV can help to effectively control the spread of the virus. Existing diagnostic systems, especially enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (aka ELISA), are bulky, expensive, and require electricity, lengthy incubation periods, and multiple pipetting stages. The POCKET combines the immunoassay unit and the detector unit into a portable and cost-effective model.

Detailed description of the solution

A blood sample is delivered to each channel of the device and is analyzed by an antibody-detecting strip. Protein fragments on the strip bind HIV antibodies. A series of rapid, yet precise chemical assays are performed on detected antibodies for identification and quantification.

Designed by

• Designed by: The Whitesides Research Group at Harvard University. Their home page is found here.
• Manufacturing: Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

When and where it was tested/implemented

The prototype was developed in 2004 at Harvard, and as of 2004, Harvard University's Office for Technology and Trademark Licensing has been negotiating with a start-up firm to commercialize the POCKET.

References