Lab-on-a-Chip: Home Health Diagnostics
A breakthrough lab-on-a-chip device developed by University of Cincinnati engineers promises rapid diagnosis of depression and anxiety, marking a significant advancement in mental healthcare. By analyzing saliva to measure cortisol levels, this innovative technology provides objective data to supplement customary mental health assessments, possibly impacting the 400 million people globally affected by these conditions. The disposable device delivers results to a portable analyzer and a smartphone within minutes, facilitating timely interventions. This device also has applications for diagnosing other conditions. News Directory 3 brings you this story as part of its commitment to covering advances in health. Discover what’s next as this technology advances to clinical trials.
UC Device Offers Rapid Diagnosis of Depression, Anxiety
Updated June 07, 2024
Engineers at the University of Cincinnati have designed a new “lab-on-a-chip” device to help doctors diagnose depression and anxiety more effectively. The device analyzes saliva to measure cortisol,a key stress hormone,offering objective data to supplement traditional mental health assessments.
Chong Ahn,a Distinguished Research Professor at UC’s College of Engineering and Applied Science,and his students developed the tool. Elevated cortisol levels, even without reported feelings of stress, anxiety, or depression, can provide valuable diagnostic insights. Mental health disorders, including stress-related conditions like anxiety and depression, affect over 400 million people globally and are leading causes of disability, making this a significant advancement in mental health care.
The UC innovation features a disposable collection device inserted into the mouth, which then fits into a reader. Results are transmitted within minutes to a portable analyzer and smartphone, facilitating timely interventions for mental health care. The study appeared in Biomedical microdevices.
According to Ahn, the new tests will help doctors make timely interventions. He added that patients can conduct the tests themselves and share the results with doctors using a web app.
Supreeth Setty, a UC doctoral student and study co-author, is researching dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a hormone that counteracts cortisol’s effects. A high cortisol-to-DHEA ratio indicates chronic stress linked to depression and anxiety. Setty emphasizes that these tests offer clinicians objective evidence to enhance traditional screenings.
Setty said point-of-care testing is a practical way to make results available quickly for everyone.
Unlike subjective mental health questionnaires, the cortisol and DHEA tests are objective and can signal elevated stress levels, Setty noted. He added that the next step involves clinical trials with psychiatrists to validate the platform’s effectiveness.
Vinitha Thiyagarajan Upaassana, a UC doctoral graduate, served as the study’s lead author, along with Setty and UC doctoral student Heeyong Jang. The project received partial funding from UC’s Technology Accelerator Project.
The same technology can also diagnose other health issues. Such as, it can measure troponin, a protein released into the bloodstream during heart damage. High troponin levels, combined with chest pain, can indicate a heart attack. Jang, Setty, and ahn detailed a device for rapid troponin measurement from a blood drop in Analytical Chemistry.
Jang said that monitoring troponin daily could provide valuable information, as the test provides immediate results, which is critically important when a patient is in need of immediate care.
UC researchers have also adapted their point-of-care-testing platform for COVID-19 diagnosis, as reported in the journal Sensors and Diagnostics.
What’s next
Future research will focus on clinical trials to validate the device’s effectiveness in diagnosing depression, anxiety, and other stress-related disorders in a clinical setting. The team also plans to explore additional applications for the technology in diagnosing and monitoring various health conditions.