Disposable Device Developed for Infectious Diseases

An easy-to-use device that can detect a wide range of diseases in less than an hour based on color-changing paper is under development.

An instrument-free, paper-based, fully disposable device is being created for use in remote areas where access to medical diagnostic equipment is limited.


Scientists from the University of Washington (Seattle, WA, USA) have teamed up with those from General Electric Global Research (GE; Niskayuna, NY, USA) to develop the device. The medical instument will be about the size of a pack of playing cards, and can detect infectious disease by way of a simple nasal swab, in less than an hour. As part of this program, GE scientists will be developing next-generation paper and membrane materials, while also utilizing a suite of commercial papers and membranes, including Whatman Nucleic Acid and Protein Sample Preparation FTA cards (Piscataway, NJ, USA).

The first disease the scientists will target is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a drug-resistant bacterium responsible for hard-to treat infections. MRSA is especially problematic in institutional settings, like hospitals prisons, and military bases, where people generally live in close quarters. Fast diagnosis is the key because MRSA infections can worsen rapidly, and in less than a week, take hold in human tissue and become very difficult to treat.

David Moore, PhD, the manager of the Membrane and Separation Technologies Laboratory, at GE Global Research, said, “The team is excited about this effort and the difference it could make. There's a strong desire to see the technology commercialized and used at clinics, hospitals, and the military health system, and eventually in the field and at home. We live in an on-demand world, where news and information is instantaneous. We've asked why the same can't be done for diagnosing infectious diseases where early detection is so critical to positive patient outcomes.”

Related Links:
University of Washington
General Electric Global Research
Whatman