(RTTNews) -  International Business Machines Corp. (IBM: News ) said Monday that its scientists have created a one-step point-of-care-diagnostic test, based on an innovative silicon chip, that requires less sample volume, is significantly faster, portable, easy to use, and can test for many diseases, including cardiovascular disease.

The results are so quick and accurate that a small sample of a patient's serum or blood, could be tested immediately following a heart attack, to enable the doctor to quickly take a course of action to help the patient survive, IBM noted.

The company said although the diagnostic test has only been studied on heart disease, the scientists believe it could be able to diagnose any disease that markers have been developed for, such as: breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, HIV, Hepatitis C, Influenza virus, including H1N1 and others, Epstein-Barr virus, and bacterial infections, such as E. Coli.
IBM scientists have encoded the forces of capillary action on a microfluidic chip made of a silicon compound, similar to those used in computer chips. The chip, which measures 1 * 5 centimeters, contains sets of micrometer wide channels where the test sample flows through in about 15 seconds, several times faster then traditional tests. Uniquely, the filling speed can be adjusted to several minutes when the chip requires additional time to read a more complex disease marker.

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by RTT Staff Writer

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