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Diagnostics

Reactions: A poem on quantitative lateral flow

October 8, 2022 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 100, Issue 36

 

Letters to the editor

Quantitative lateral flow

The interesting article by Bethany Halford on lateral flow tests (C&EN Sept. 19, 2022, page 6) inspired me to express it in the following poem.

A current technique that is all on the go,

That gives a rapid test, is lateral flow

But results, so far, have all been
qualitative.

Now the Swager group has made it
quantitative

Without using sophisticated
instrumentation

As a simple smartphone is used on this
occasion.

They used particles with conducting
polypyrrole shells

With glucose oxidase enzyme attached to
them as well.

So, when glucose is present hydrogen
peroxide is released

And the conductivity of the polypyrrole is
increased.

An attached rfid tag detects this change

And transmits the info to a smartphone
within range

Thus allowing the glucose concentration to
be measured

And transmitted to a lab and the information
gathered.

This technique can be used with other
biomarkers,

Allowing more health care information to be
sent, for starters.

So we salute Tim Swager, Jie Li, Weize Yuan
and Co.

For this advance in instrumentation and we
want all to know.

Andrew Roxburgh McGhie
Wilmington, Delaware

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