The success of a recent clinical trial of a wearable patch that tracks a patient's medication levels may indicate that the age of digital blood testing is near.
An international research team, which involves researchers from the University of New South Wales, developed and tested a lab-in-a-patch device for continuous molecular monitoring with Australian diagnostics solution developer Nutromics.
In a pilot trial – the findings of which have been published in Nature Biotechnology – the patch was used to monitor levels of vancomycin, a last-resort antibiotic that was said to have always been tricky to dose.
The patch, which is reportedly more comfortable than standard blood draws, uses synthetic DNA-based sensors, called aptamers, to measure dosage levels.
Following its success, Scientia Professor Justin Gooding from UNSW School of Chemistry points to the possibility of monitoring patients at any time to ensure they receive the best, safest, and most effective treatment.
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