Monitoring Critical Blood Levels

Patients in intensive care units usually are surrounded by a forest of monitoring and fluid handling equipment. Researchers at EPFL in Lausanne, Switzerland may have come up with a microfluidics device that can clear out some of that forest. The device they designed is capable of monitoring five fluid levels (glucose, lactate, bilirubin, and ions of both potassium and calcium) as the piece is attached to a drainage tube. Bluetooth communications sends those values wirelessly. The designers believe up to 40 molecules could be monitored in this way. MORE

 Image Credit: actu.epfl.ch