Pathogen-Locating Nanosensors Coming Soon
With how far nanotechnology has advanced, it’s almost unsurprising to see it being used in biotechnology. The latest of these applications is the development of nanosensors dedicated to hunting down disease-causing organisms within the human body. Pinpoint Science announced a collaboration with Analog Devices Inc. to build nanosensors that have the potential to deliver results in under a minute. The partnership hopes to develop a new method of detecting infectious diseases that can be used anywhere on the planet. The goal focuses on combining Pinpoint’s nanotechnology manufacturing services with Analog Device’s handheld diagnostics equipment to achieve success.
A Need for Better Screening Practices
The recent outbreak of COVID-19, it’s become increasingly evident that many health agencies around the world have substandard monitoring and screening practices. The partnership between these companies hopes to provide a cost-effective method for even countries on the lower end of the economic development scale to benefit. With the introduction of nanosensors, health agencies now have a tool that can detect precisely what sort of pathogen an individual presents. It’s a far more accurate system than trying to detect subtle changes in body temperature. Current screening methods don’t even have ways to tell one respiratory disease apart from another accurately.
Effective Mass Screening for All
Internationally, part of the difficulty in proper screening comes from a lack of available resources. Technology for mass examination is expensive, and in some countries, it may be untenable to buy screening equipment that may not get used very often. Implementing Analog Devices’ handheld hardware interfacing directly with nanosensors can provide a cheap alternative to expensive and time-consuming testing methods. While COVID-19 is the current threat to global health, it won’t be the last one. The partnership of these companies hopes to develop a system that can give public health authorities a more effective tool to deal with the detection and control of contagious pathogens across borders.
