Saliva Samples are inserted to the reader that transmitts cortisol measurements to a smart phone. Credit: Andrew Higley
University of Cincinnati Engineers have Created a New Device to Help Doctors Diagnose Depression and Anxiety.
UC College of Engineering and Applied Science Distinguished Research Teacher Chong ahn and His Students Developd A “Lab-on-a-Chip” Device That Measures The Stress Hormone Cortisol from a Patient’s Saliva. Knowing IF A PATENT HAS ELEVATED STRESS HORMONES CAN PROVIDE USEFUL DIAGNOSTIC INFORMATION EVEN IF PATIES FROM NOT REPORT Feelings of ANXIETY, STRESS OR DEPRESSION IN A STANDARD MENTAL HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE.
Mental Health Disorders Affect more than 400 Million People Around the World. Stress Disorders Such as anxiet and depression are among the leading causes of disability worldwide. Prolonged Cortisol Elevation is linked to numerous mental health disorders, including depression and anxiety.
UC Researchers CREATED A LAB-ON-A-CHIP SYSTEM TO TRACK A PATENT’S CORTISOL LEVES. It consists of a disporate Collection Device That a Person Puts in Their Mouth Which is the inserteded Into a Reader. The Reader Can Transmit Results in Minutes to the Portable Analyzer and Smartphone.
The Study is published in The Journal Biomedical Microdevices.
“We’re Working on Point-of-Care Testing, Which Allows Patients to the Testing at Home Or in A Clinic. People Don’t Want To Go To a Lab To Get Invasive Tests,” Ahn Said. “Mental Health Care Can Be An Urgent Situation. And So These Tests Will Hell Doctors Make Timely Interventions.
“The System Uses Traditional Psychometric Evaluations in A Questionnaire Along with Physiological Biomarker Measurements That Provide Evidence-Based Diagnostics. This approach has the potential to open a newm of diagnostics for stress disorders.”
Patients Can of The Testing Themselves and Share Results with Doctors via Smartphones, He Said.
UC College of Engineering and Applied Science Distinguished Research Teacher Chong ahn is Working on New Applications for Point-Of-Care Testing. One Device Measures Cortisol from the sample saliva. Credit: Andrew Higley
Early Warnings
Study Co-Author UC Doctoral Student Subfraph Setty is Working on A Related Project for Histation That Examine Another Hormone (Dehydroepoprosterone) That Goes By the Acronym Dhea. That hormone helps to counteract the effects of too much cortisol in the body. Research hasnn that high rats of cortisol to dhea are indicators of chronic stress associated with conditions such as depression and anxiety.
“When a Patient Comes in, They Take Blood Samples. Normally It takes care of the Get Lab Results Back,” Setty Said. “But here the results are obtained in a Few Minutes Using Saliva, and It’s Noninvasive.”
Setty Said the Tests Provide Clinicians with Objective Evidence to Supplement Traditional Screenings Such As the Patient Health Questionnaire.
“Point-of-Care Testing is a Practical Way to Make Results Available Quickly for Everyone,” He Said.
UNLIKE MENTAL HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRES THAT CAN BE MORE SUBJECTIVE BECAUSE THERE REALY ON A PATH AND SELF-AWARESS, THE CORTISOL AND DHEA TESTS ARE OBJECTIVE AND CAN RAISE A RED FLAG ABOUT A PATENT’S LEVES OF STRESS, SETTY SAID.
“The Next Step Willd Be To Collaborate with Psychiatrists and Conduct Clinical Trials to See if IF Platform Works as Expected,” Setty Said.
UC Doctoral Graduate Vinitha Thiyagarajan Upaasana Was the Lead Author of the Study With Setty and Co-Author and UC Doctoral Student Heeyong Jang.
University of Cincinnati Doctoral Student Heeyong Jang Holds Up A Lab on-A-Chip Microfluidic Flow Assay to Measter Hormones in A Point-of-Care Device. Credit: Andrew Higley
Other Applications
UC Researchers Say Their Technique Can Be Used to Diagnose Other Health Issues.
In particular, They Examined Troponin, A Protein That Gets Relened into the Bloodstream When Patients Suffer Damage to Their Hearts from Conditions Such As Heart Attack. The Amount of the Protein Relened Depes on How Much Damage the Heart Sustainins. High Cardiac Troponin Levels in Combination with Symptles Such As Chest Pain Can Indicates Heart Attack in Progress.
In A Paper Published in The Journal Analytical chemistryJang, Setty and Ahn Unveiled an Innovative New Device for Rapid and Effective Point-Of-Care Biochemical Test That Measures Troponin from the Drop of Blood.
“Once You Survive A Heart Attack There is an Increased Probability of Having Another Heart Attack,” Jang Said. “We Can Monitor Troponin in the Blood on A Daily Basis and Hopefully Get Valuable Information. The test Provides Immediats Results, Which is Important When a Patient is in Need of Immiatory Care.”
UC Researchers Also Deved a New Point-Of-Care-Testing Platform for Covid-19. Researchers Unveiled Their New Design in The Journal Sensors and Diagnostics.
More information:
V. Thiyagarajan Upaassana et al, on-site Analysis of Cortisol in Saliva Based on Microchannel Flow Assay (mlfa) on Polymer Lab-on-a-Chip (LOC), Biomedical Microdevices (2025). DOI: 10.1007/S10544-025-00733-6
Heeyeong Jang et al, the New Chemiluminescence-Based Rapid Diagnostic Testing Platform with Sequential Dual-Flow Strips for Cardiac Troponin I (CTNI), Analytical chemistry (2025). DOI: 10.1021/ACS.ANALCHEM.4C06427
SUPREETH SETTY et al, the New Sequential Dual Flow Lab-On-A-Chip With a Lyophilized One-Component Chemiluminescence Substrate for High-Sensitive Side Microchannel Flow Assay (MLFA), Sensors & Diagnostics (2025). DOI: 10.1039/D4SD00352g
Citation: LAB-ON-A-CHIP DEVICES OFFER HOME TESTS FOR STRESS AND CARDIAC ISSUES (2025, MAY 8) RETRIED 8 MAY 2025 FROM
This document is Subject to Copyright. Apart from Any Fair Dealing for the Purpose of Private Study or Research at Part May Be Reproduced Without The Written Permission. The Content is Provided for Information Purposes Only.
