Within two years people will be able to check whether a person has cancer cells in about half a minute without medical doctors. South Korean state-run Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) announced yesterday that it has developed a whole blood processing chip and bio-sensor array chip, which enable anyone to check diseases or food toxins at an earlier stage. The tech is expected to be commercialized within two years, according to a domestic information and telecommunications research institute. The whole blood processing chip enables to easily screen cancers within 30 seconds, as it separates even one drop of blood into blood cells and plasma.
Currently, blood cells are separated from blood plasma by using a centrifugal separator, but it requires complicate procedure over a long time with the participation of medical doctors.Biosensor array chip is a high technology which adds nano particle to toxic substance, making it electrified and then checking whether toxin exists in food or diseases exist. If the tech is commercialized, quarantines, restaurants and general homes can easily use the device. ETRI plans to transfer this technology to on-site diagnosis device makers and it expects that it will be commercialized within two years.
