University of Toronto scientists have demonstrated, for what appears to be the first time, the convergence of nanotechnology, microtechnology, microfluidics, photonics, signal processing, and proteomics to build a medical device that could lead to the development of fast, portable point-of-care diagnostics for infectious disease.

The Toronto team assembled a high-throughput, high-sensitivity platform capable of detecting multiple biomarkers (multiplexed detection) of ID agents by integrating recent advances in quantum dot QdotB, microfluidic, and photon detection technologies, signal processing, and proteomic biomarkers of infection.