optofluidics for detecting brain injury

A method for detecting traumatic brain injury at the point of care has been developed by scientists at the University of Birmingham.

Using chemical biomarkers released by the brain immediately after a head injury occurs, researchers are able to pinpoint when patients need urgent medical attention. This saves time in delivering vital treatment and avoids patients undergoing unnecessary tests where no injury has occurred.

The method works using a spectroscopic technique called surface enhanced Raman scattering, in which a beam of light is fired at the biomarker. The biomarker, taken from a pin prick blood sample, is prepared by being inserted into a special optofluidic chip, where the blood plasma is separated and flows over a highly specialized surface. The light causes the biomarker to vibrate or rotate and this movement can be measured, giving an accurate indication of the level of injury that has occurred.

The key to sensitivity is in the way the biomarkers interact with the surface. The team developed a low-cost platform, made from polymer and covered with a thin film of gold. This structure is then subjected to a strong electric field, which redistributes the film into a distinctive pattern, optimized to resonate in exactly the right way with the light beam.

Current methods of assessing TBI(traumatic brain injury) frequently rely on the Glasgow Coma Scale, in which clinicians make a subjective judgment based on the patient's ability to open their eyes, their verbal responses and their ability to move in response to an instruction.

"The current tools we use to diagnose TBI are really quite old fashioned, and rely on the subjective judgment of the paramedic or the emergency doctors," says Dr. Oppenheimer. "There's an urgent need for new technology in this area to enable us to offer the right treatment for the patient, and also to avoid expensive and time-consuming tests for patients where there is no TBI."

 

 

 

reference

Jonathan J. S. Rickard et al. Rapid optofluidic detection of biomarkers for traumatic brain injury via surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, Nature Biomedical Engineering (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41551-019-0510-4