Simple paper-based test for measuring blood hemoglobin concentration in resource-limited settings

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Diagnostics
• Point-of-Care Testing
• Medical Device Development

Background:

• Hemoglobin concentration ([Hb]) measurement is crucial for assessing oxygen-carrying capacity and diagnosing anemia.
• Current diagnostic devices are accurate but often too expensive for low-income regions.
• Inexpensive diagnostic tools are needed to combat anemia in developing countries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simple, low-cost paper-based assay for measuring hemoglobin concentration.
• To provide an accessible diagnostic tool for anemia in resource-limited settings.

Main Methods:

• A mixture of blood and Drabkin reagent was applied to patterned chromatography paper.
• The stained paper was digitized using a portable scanner for analysis.
• Hemoglobin concentration was quantified by measuring the mean color intensity of the blood stain.

Main Results:

• The paper-based assay showed high correlation with a hematology analyzer (R(2) = 0.9598).
• The standard deviation of the difference between measurements was 0.62 g/dL.
• The assay was accurate within 1 g/dL for 90.7% of subjects.

Conclusions:

• The paper-based hemoglobin assay is feasible and demonstrates high accuracy.
• This cost-effective test can aid in diagnosing anemia in resource-limited areas.
• The assay is particularly relevant for managing patients with malaria, HIV, and sickle cell disease in sub-Saharan Africa.