The new device was successfully tested on patients undergoing pancreatic surgery and demonstrated a high level of reliability. The researchers believe that their method could become the standard for post-operative monitoring of patients in the future.
“Our method shortens the alpha-amylase determination period from six hours to approximately two minutes and enables real-time monitoring of the amylase activity. Furthermore, our droplet-based millifluidic device can be conveniently positioned at the patient’s bedside,” explains Dr. Larysa Baraban at the HZDR Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research. “This allows complications to be detected more quickly and appropriate therapies to be initiated.” The researchers are also planning to expand the technology to analyze various body fluids and diseases.
MEDICA-tradefair.com; Source: Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf