Paper-based test is the latest method to diagnose liver diseases

Medical technology has brought paper – yes, paper – to a new level by transforming it into an affordable and reliable device able to diagnose liver disease.

The Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and Diagnostics for All, a non-profit organization based in Cambridge, Mass. take medical innovation very seriously. Using a paper-based device about the size of a postage stamp, they have developed a test that could determine signs of liver damage.

A droplet of blood from a finger prick is placed on the paper device. The paper has filters and reagents that react to molecular indicators and enzymes in the blood sample. After fifteen minutes, the paper changes color depending on the level of liver enzymes. The resulting color indicates the condition of the liver, as well as the level of damage. This would enable doctors to decide on the appropriate preventive measures or treatment options.

The paper-based test shows promise to reduce health care cost in the United States.

Researchers at Beth Israel are also hopeful that this inexpensive technology will be distributed for wide use in developing and underdeveloped countries around the world. They believe that it could make effective diagnosis significantly more accessible in places where blood tests are expensive and time-consuming.

The simplicity of the paper-based test has raised questions on its accuracy. To this, Beth Israel and Diagnostics for All attest that their primary clinical tests exhibited over 90 percent certainty. The next step in the development of the test is a wide field study with 600 people in Vietnam.

Similar paper-based tests have been developed for HIV and tuberculosis. Fingers crossed, the full development of this paper-based test could exponentially decrease medical costs and provide more communities with accurate diagnosis.