Highlight
IGERT Trainee starts a company and wins a SBIR Award
Achievement/Results
IGERT Trainee, Matt Dubach, was successfully in securing a SBIR grant. A start-up company, Ionu Biosystems, was setup based on his IGERT project and will develop a fluorescent smart phone blood analyzer that can measure important physiological concentrations from a drop of blood. The approach will be to develop fluorescent optode sensors to detect the concentration of the components of basic metabolic and blood gas panels. Using wireless optode sensors, which can reduced in size to the nanoscale, and fluorescence signal detection removes the need for wired connection of the sensors, sample preprocessing and microfluidics for sample handling. These advantages will reduce the size, weight and cost of the sample cartridge. Fluorescence emission from the sensors will be directly measured by the built-in phone camera and data processing can occur on the phone itself. The results from Phase I will include the construction of a prototype phone case to provide the necessary optical components to convert a smart phone into fluorescence sensor and response of sensors for the components of a chemical to different target concentrations measured with the phone prototype.
Address Goals
There is a huge demand for rapid, mobile, small volume blood diagnostics in the medical field. Using an interdisciplinary approach and nanotechnology, there has been rapid improvements in this field. IGERT trainee Matt Dubach has developed a fluorescence based smart phone blood diagnostic to address this challenge. There is tremendous potential to translate this discovery to commercial product that will enhance healthcare and reduce healthcare costs in the Nation.
