Noninvasive Device Measures Hemoglobin More Accurately in Individuals with Darker Skin Pigmentations
|
By LabMedica International staff writers Posted on 31 Oct 2022 |
|
Racial disparities in hemoglobin and blood oxygen measurements are an urgent public health issue. The devices presently in use are inaccurate in people with dark skin. Most methods for monitoring hemoglobin require blood samples and expensive equipment. Currently available pulse-oximeters use red-infrared light and are based on technology first designed more than 50 years ago. The available noninvasive spectroscopic methods have a high degree of variability and often are inaccurate in people of color due to differences in skin melanin. There is a significant unmet need for a reliable, noninvasive device to estimate hemoglobin, irrespective of skin color. Now, researchers have demonstrated a new device that measures hemoglobin more accurately in individuals with darker skin pigmentations by using the spectroscopic properties of hemoglobin in the blue-green light spectra.
In a clinical study, a team of researchers at the University of Texas at Arlington (Arlington, TX, USA) along with Shani Biotechnologies LLC (Austin, TX, USA) measured the hemoglobin and oxygen content of 16 healthy volunteers using the newly developed technology. The team compared the results to those obtained using a commercially available pulse-oximeter for accuracy and variability. The findings of the study are encouraging, and the new technology has massive potential to address this clinical unmet need. The researchers intend to develop a wearable device, such as a watch or a monitor, that would read the blood through the skin.
“We have used the green-blue light and have successfully tested the device in preclinical and clinical studies,” said Dr. Vinoop Daggubati of Shani Biotechnologies LLC. “Our group has addressed the issues around shorter wavelength, scattering of light and the impact of skin melanin. The scientific community should open its mind to the concept of green light for these measurements. The Shani device has huge potential to eliminate this racial disparity.”
Related Links:
University of Texas at Arlington
Shani Biotechnologies
Latest Hematology News
- New Donor Genetic Marker May Help Predict Stem Cell Transplant Success
- New Automated Hemostasis Systems Become Available Across US Laboratories
- Updated Ferritin Thresholds Improve Detection of Iron Deficiency
- Variation in AML Residual Disease Testing Prompts Push for Standardization
- Hidden Molecular Mechanism Behind HIT Blood-Clotting Disorder Revealed
- Borderline Anemia May Carry Higher Risk Than Current Thresholds Suggest
- Biomarker-Guided Framework Aims to Guide Mantle Cell Lymphoma Therapy
- New Genetic Findings Reveal Cause of Bone Marrow Failure Syndrome
- Ultra-Portable Device Enables Finger-Prick Blood Testing at Home
- Age-Specific CBC Reference Intervals Support Pediatric Diagnosis in Vietnam
- Spectral Flow Cytometry Assay Enhances MRD Detection in Multiple Myeloma
- New Marker Helps Detect Aggressive Multiple Myeloma Earlier
- New Biomarkers Predict Resistance to Targeted Therapy in Rare Blood Cancer
- AI Decision Support System Guides Treatment Selection for Complex Blood Cancers
- Blood Test Helps Predict Short-Term Mortality After Severe Heart Attack
- Next-Generation Hematology Platform Streamlines High-Complexity Lab Workflows
Channels
Clinical Chemistry
view channel
Lollipop-Inspired Device Measures Acetaminophen Levels in Saliva
Acetaminophen is used in many over-the-counter pain relievers, cold and flu products, and other medications. Excess dosing can cause serious side effects, including liver damage, and children may be at... Read more
New Insights Into Fetal DNA Could Improve Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing
Non-invasive prenatal testing is widely used to screen pregnancies for genetic conditions by analyzing DNA fragments in maternal blood. Although it offers a safer alternative to invasive procedures such... Read more
Molecular Diagnostics
view channel
Blood Test Detects Molecular Signals of Early Liver Cancer Progression
Liver diseases can progress along a spectrum that begins with inflammation from viral and non-viral causes such as hepatitis and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis. Over decades, dormant... Read more
Blood-Based MRD Test Shows High Specificity in Colorectal Cancer Trials
Patients with stage II and III colorectal cancer may require monitoring for residual or recurrent disease after treatment. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) testing offers a blood-based way to detect remaining... Read more
Immunology
view channel
New Web-Based Platform Helps Autoimmune Laboratories Manage Testing Complexity
Autoimmune disease testing often requires laboratories to coordinate results across multiple instruments, manual microscopy, and patient histories. As testing volumes and workflow complexity increase,... Read more
Routine Newborn Blood Spots Can Measure GBS Antibody Levels
Group B Streptococcus (GBS) can cause serious infections in newborns. Protecting infants remains challenging because immune protection may depend on antibodies transferred from mother to baby before birth.... Read more
Microbiology
view channel
Nanodroplet CRISPR Technology Supports Rapid, Multiplexed Mycobacterial Identification
Mycobacterial infections are difficult to diagnose because closely related species can have different clinical and therapeutic implications. Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are increasingly recognized... Read more
Genomic Workflow Identifies Fungal Pathogens Before Blood Cultures Turn Positive
Fungal bloodstream infections pose a major threat to hospitalized patients. Candida species cause most invasive fungal infections worldwide and are among the leading causes of hospital-acquired bloodstream... Read more
FDA-Cleared Multiplex PCR Test Detects 13 Respiratory Pathogens in a Single Sample
Respiratory tract infections can be difficult to distinguish at presentation because many cause overlapping, nonspecific symptoms and are initially grouped as influenza-like illnesses. Causes span a range... Read more
One-Hour Molecular Panel Expands Bloodstream Infection Testing for Gram-Negative Pathogens
Bloodstream infections can progress rapidly and lead to sepsis, organ failure, and death. In the United States, about 1.7 million adults develop sepsis each year, and at least 350,000 die during hospitalization... Read morePathology
view channel
Rapid Mass Spectrometry Test May Aid Glioma Margin Decisions
Glioma brain tumors are highly infiltrative and can extend into nearby healthy brain tissue, making tumor margins difficult to define during surgery. Residual tumor cells may contribute to recurrence and... Read more
Genomic Classifier Predicts Benefit From Adding Hormone Therapy to Salvage Prostate Radiation
Men who have undergone prostatectomy for prostate cancer may later develop a detectable or rising prostate-specific antigen, prompting salvage radiation therapy. A key challenge is determining who is most... Read more
Technology
view channel
Laser-Based Swab Analysis Shows Promise for Detecting Disease-Linked Odor Patterns
Disease-related changes in volatile organic compounds can alter body odor, producing measurable patterns in exhaled breath and bodily fluids. Current analytical methods can be complex, time-consuming,... Read more
Laser-Enhanced Assay Boosts Sensitivity for Colorectal Cancer Biomarker Detection
Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Early detection remains critical, but cancer biomarkers can produce only faint... Read more
Industry
view channel
Collaboration Advances Automated Benchtop Platform for Routine Blood Testing
Routine blood testing is central to clinical decision-making, but access can vary across laboratory and healthcare settings. Broader use of automated benchtop platforms may help integrate testing more... Read more
Expanded Partnership Supports AI Biomarker Validation and Clinical Trial Deployment
CellCarta (Montreal, Canada) and Imagene AI (Miami, FL, USA) have expanded their collaboration to provide biopharma companies with a coordinated pathway for biomarker strategy, assay development, validation,... Read more
Collaboration Combines AI Cognitive Assessment and RNA Blood Testing for Earlier Alzheimer’s Detection
Alzheimer’s disease is often identified only after substantial neurodegeneration, partly because current diagnostic pathways are fragmented and difficult to scale. As treatment shifts toward earlier intervention,... Read more