Generating e-diagnosis in Europe
Diagnostics at hospitals mainly rely on large-scale automated equipment or ELISA techniques. These assays, however, are not suitable for acute diagnostics and emergency medicine. With a next-generation diagnostic device in mind, the EU-funded ‘Healthcare by biosensor measurements and networking’ (CARE-MAN) integrated project intended to generate an intelligent diagnostics device based on biosensor technology with integrated e-health capabilities. The key objective was to provide a modular system with enhanced detection capabilities combined with easy sample handling. The system would be linked to e-services through networking functions and interfaces to current and future medical data systems. Taking advantage of the expertise of hospital-related partners, the consortium wished to address the most common diagnostic problems in the EU like cardiovascular disease, coagulation disorders, chronic/acute inflammation, cancer and thyroid disorders. Additionally, a wide range of different analytical problems were covered such as data handling and quality assurance. For this purpose, various new assays and biological recognition elements (BRE) were set up, focusing in particular on optical detection techniques. Transfer of these methods onto the CARE-MAN platform was envisioned to advance current diagnostic assays for these diseases, reduce sample volumes and improve the limit of detection. The CARE-MAN system will not only prove beneficial for e-health in European hospitals but is expected to find applications by family doctors and, in the future, for bedside home surveillance. Overall, the generated technology was a step towards the visionary intention of post-operative checks and permanent surveillance in case of chronic diseases.
