STTR Phase II: Microdevice for Rapid Blood Typing without Reagents and Hematocrit Determination

Microdevice Engineering Inc., Houghton MI

Investigators

Abstract

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase II project is the development of a portable, low cost blood typing and anemia screening device for use in blood donation centers, hospitals, humanitarian efforts and the military. This helps society because every two seconds in United States someone needs blood, yet less than 4% of Americans donate blood. Unfortunately, 15-20% of blood collected is wasted due to over collection of unneeded blood types and related blood type logistics. 12 million units of blood are collected annually in US with 108 million units worldwide. U.S. blood centers are under significant economic pressures to reduce per unit blood costs and thus waste reduction tools and strategies are in demand. Blood unit costs approach $200 per pint of blood, so this device provides the ability to pre-screen donors by blood type and selectively direct the donation process (i.e. plasma, red cells) to reduce blood product waste and better match supply with hospital demand. This portable technology could also be translated to remote geographical locations for disaster relief applications. The potential economic savings has the potential to be $400M and will contribute to reducing the overall cost of U.S. health care. The proposed project will advance knowledge across multiple fields. It adapts knowledge in microfluidics and the use of electric fields to characterize cells to identify the molecular expression on blood cells responsible for ABO-Rh blood type. This project advances the use of electric fields to rapidly measure cell concentration. This project develops software for real time tracking of cell population motion, which is highly valuable in many cell microscopy applications. This project also adapts advanced pattern recognition tools like machine learning to extract even more information from the cell behaviors. This work also extends statistical analysis from static population means to analysis of functional data - a field in its infancy - via a critical application. Finally, the device and electronics engineering will advance under the principle that "simple is best", leading to fewer potential failure points and less costly manufacture. This work advances scientific knowledge and will be published and widely disseminated after securing additional IP. It is also a powerful alternative to expensive antigen/antibody molecular recognition reactions (i.e. traditional blood typing) for medical screening and diagnosis for future point of care diagnostic applications.