We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

LabMedica

Download Mobile App
Recent News Expo Clinical Chem. Molecular Diagnostics Hematology Immunology Microbiology Pathology Technology Industry Focus

Graphene-Based Biosensors Could Detect Sepsis Earlier in Critically Ill Patients

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 09 Jun 2023
Image: Gii-Sens is the world`s first 3D Graphene foam electrode for biosensing (Photo courtesy of Integrated Graphene)
Image: Gii-Sens is the world`s first 3D Graphene foam electrode for biosensing (Photo courtesy of Integrated Graphene)

Lactate serves as a vital biomarker in managing hospitalized patients who are critically ill. A common complication in intensive care units, hyperlactatemia, can occur either due to insufficient oxygen supply to tissues or underlying conditions such as advanced liver disease. If left untreated, hyperlactatemia can escalate into lactate acidosis, a severe condition that can be life-threatening. Reliable real-time lactate detection, whether via single-point or continuous monitoring, has the potential to enhance patient outcomes in critical care and speed up the diagnosis of sepsis in critically ill individuals. Now, a new study has highlighted the significant potential of graphene-based biosensors for detecting elevated lactate levels.

The study by researchers at the University of Bath (Bath, UK) showed that using Integrated Graphene’s (Stirling, UK) Gii-Sens electrochemical sensor can enhance the diagnostic accuracy of hyperlactatemia. The Gii-Sens, a diagnostic biosensing electrode, outperforms conventional sensing materials by a factor of 10-100, enabling rapid, laboratory-quality testing at the point of need in a cost-effective manner. Gii-Sens electrochemical electrodes, produced using Integrated Graphene’s novel 3D graphene Gii, are disposable sensors designed for one-step assays without the need for pre-treatments.

“Lactate is a naturally occurring biomarker which everyone produces as a byproduct of exercising. For most people it is easily processed by the body and will cause no major harm, apart from a little cramp if you overexert yourself,” said Dr. Marco Caffio, Integrated Graphene’s Co-Founder and CSO. “However, for some critically ill patients and those with underlying conditions it can be a sign of a range of other issues, some of which, like sepsis, can be fatal. Having a robust way of monitoring lactate levels is important in ensuring the best possible outcomes for these patients. The findings of this study demonstrate Gii’s reliable performance and potential to save lives.”

Related Links:
University of Bath 
Integrated Graphene 

Platinum Member
Automated Coagulation Analyzer
Hemolumi H6
Gold Member
Neonatal Heel Incision Device
Tenderfoot
Automated Urinalysis Solution
UN-9000
Pipette Calibration System
Artel PCS®

Channels

Molecular Diagnostics

view channel
Image: A research team led by Prof. Hsing I-Ming (center), Professor of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at HKUST, has developed TEMPO, a thermodynamically programmed one-pot CRISPR platform for rapid, point-of-care nucleic acid testing. Mr. Wu Xiaolong (third right) and Ms. Li Yanan (first left), PhD students from the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, are the co-first authors of this study. (Photo courtesy of HKUST)

Single-Tube CRISPR Test Detects Pathogens and Genetic Variants in 30 Minutes

Rapid, accurate detection of infectious agents and single-nucleotide variants remains difficult to deliver outside centralized laboratories. Although multi-step nucleic acid workflows are sensitive, they... Read more

Microbiology

view channel
Image: The “broth” used to monitor red blood cell depletion in whole blood spiked with one colony-forming-unit of E. coli bacteria, each incubated at different orbital shaking speeds—left to right: 0 RPM, 65 RPM, 120 RPM and 200 RPM—after four hours of incubation. This culturing raises a bacteria-rich, plasma-like layer of bacteria to the top of the vials, while clusters of stuck blood cells known as a Rouleaux formation sink to the bottom. (Image Credit: Pak Kin Wong)

New Diagnostic Workflow Identifies Bloodstream Pathogens and Antibiotic Response in Hours

Sepsis is a life-threatening complication of infection that affects more than 1.5 million patients annually in the United States and contributes to roughly one in three in-hospital deaths.... Read more

Pathology

view channel
Image Credit: Adobe Stock

New Journal Addresses Evolving Needs in Clinical and Translational Pathology

Clinical pathology underpins diagnosis and therapy selection across oncology and other major diseases, but the field is rapidly evolving as new technologies reshape how disease is studied and classified.... Read more