A new test to diagnose glucose intolerance

A new test to diagnose celiac disease could be available in the near future. The disease causes gluten intolerance, leading to inflammation of the small intestine when the sufferer consumes food containing gluten. This causes a range of symptoms including bloating, abdominal pain, headaches, joint pain and recurrent miscarriage and often goes undiagnosed or is misdiagnosed. The new system utilizes microfluidics, nanotechnology and genetic testing to change that. “Our goal was to develop a quick, low-cost and highly accurate test for coeliac disease that can be carried out at point-of-care, in the doctor's clinic or even perhaps in the patient's home,” Ciara O'Sullivan, who coordinated the project, said. The disposable ‘lab-on-a-chip’ requires just one drop of blood and looks like a credit card but includes a specially adapted surface for capturing the biological components being looked for and an electrically driven sensor system for fast detection.