Illustration depicts IBM’s one-step point-of-care-diagnostic test, based on a silicon chip that can test for many diseases, including cardiovascular. The test is also flexible enough to test for chemical and bio hazards and to monitor medicinal therapies. Illustration designed by Luc Gervais. Courtesy of RSC Publishing, Royal Society of Chemistry.

IBM’s one-step point-of-care-diagnostic test is based on a silicon chip that can test for many diseases, including cardiovascular. Following a heart attack, for example, the patient’s serum or blood sample could be tested immediately to determine treatment and survival rate.

IBM Research - Zurich scientists Luc Gervais and Emmanuel Delamarche in collaboration with the University Hospital of Basel in Switzerland developed the diagnostic test that uses capillary forces to analyze serum or blood samples for the presence of disease markers, which are typically proteins that can be detected in people’s blood for diagnostic purposes. Capillary action is the tendency of a liquid to rise in narrow tubes or to be drawn into small openings. An everyday example of a capillary action can be viewed by dipping a paper towel in a cup of water – the microstructures in the paper fiber enable the towel to absorb the water.

IBM scientists encoded the forces of capillary action on a microfluidic chip made of a silicon compound, similar to those used in computer chips, thus leveraging IBM's experience in developing and manufacturing silicon semiconductor wafers. The chip measures 1 × 5 cm and contains sets of micrometer wide channels where the test sample flows through in approximately 15 sec, several times faster than traditional tests. The filling speed can be adjusted to several minutes when the chip requires additional time to read a more complex disease marker.

The microfludic chip, which is based on nearly three years of research and development, consists of a microscopic path for liquids with five innovative stages. The IBM research received support from KTI/CTI, an organization that fosters innovation in Switzerland. "This microfluidic chip is the next step in the evolution of point-of- care devices; we look forward to working with IBM Research - Zurich to develop this innovation even further,” says Thierry Leclipteux, chief executive officer and chief science officer, Coris BioConcept, a Belgium-based biotechnology company developing rapid tests for diagnosis of enteric and respiratory pathogens.

Looking ahead, the chip can be embedded in several types of form factors, depending on the application, including a credit card, a pen or something similar to a pregnancy test. Besides diagnosing diseases, the test is also flexible enough to test for chemical and bio hazards.