An innovative new development in blood testing may help some of the most vulnerable populations. The assay is able to determine an individual's blood type in just 30 seconds, a significant shortened timeframe compared to many conventional tests that can take 20 minutes.
The dye-assisted paper-based test, described in Science Translational Medicine, may lead to improved emergency response in remote settings or areas of conflict. The test could allow for faster blood transfusions or organ transplants.
"Hong Zhang, the study author and a researcher at Third Military Medical University in Chongqing, China, and his colleagues used the test to analyze 3,550 blood samples, which were obtained either using a blood draw or a finger prick," according to STAT. It was accurate more than 99.9 percent of the time — the only accuracy issues cropped up when testing highly uncommon blood types."
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Nicholas joined TriMed in 2016 as the managing editor of the Chicago office. After receiving his master’s from Roosevelt University, he worked in various writing/editing roles for magazines ranging in topic from billiards to metallurgy. Currently on Chicago’s north side, Nicholas keeps busy by running, reading and talking to his two cats.