UC doctoral student Heeyong Jang and his co-authors developed new applications for point-of-care testing in Prof. Chong Ahn's engineering lab. (Credit: Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand)

Researchers have developed a lab-on-a-chip device measures the stress hormone cortisol from a patient’s saliva. Knowing if a patient has elevated stress hormones can provide useful diagnostic information even if patients do not report feelings of anxiety, stress, or depression in a standard mental health questionnaire.

The lab-on-a-chip system to track a patient’s cortisol levels. It consists of a disposable collection device that a person puts in their mouth, which is then inserted into a reader. The reader can transmit results in minutes to a portable analyzer and smartphone.

Unlike mental health questionnaires that can be more subjective because they rely on a patient’s candor and self-awareness, the cortisol and DHEA tests are objective and can raise a red flag about a patient’s levels of stress.

The technique can be used to diagnose other health issues. In particular, the researchers examined troponin, a protein that gets released into the bloodstream when patients suffer damage to their hearts from conditions such as a heart attack. The amount of the protein released depends on how much damage the heart sustains. High cardiac troponin levels in combination with symptoms such as chest pain can indicate a heart attack in progress.

Source 

Topics:
Diagnostics Ingestibles and Lab-on-a-Chip Medical

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