A team led by Aman Russom of the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden has demonstrated proof of concept for the tool by testing for HIV.
Blood samples are loaded into micro-channels on a modified, semi-transparent DVD disc and scanned by a DVD reader, which has been adapted to detect light transmitted through the disc. The image can then be visualised on a computer screen.
The so-called "Lab-on-DVD" technology makes it possible to complete an HIV test in just a few minutes, he said.
In a proof of concept demonstration, the researchers collected cell-type CD4 + from blood and visualised it using the DVD reader technology, DVD LSM.
Enumeration of these cells using flow cytometry is now standard in HIV testing, but the practise has been limited in developing countries. Russom says DVD-based technology will provide an attractive option.
The Lab-on-DVD reaps 30 years of research and development on optical storage technology to create an alternative to flow cytometry, the standard equipment for hospitals.
The low cost of the technology makes it suitable as a diagnostic and analytical tool in clinical practise close to the patient.
