Sally McFall’s team from Northwestern University in Chicago presented a diagnostic system for rapid Hepatitis C detection at the point of care. As reported by The Journal of Infectious Diseases, the novel assay yields a result in 15 minutes, which is considerably faster than current methods. This analysis duration allows a physician during a single consultation not only to establish a diagnosis but also to immediately discuss the start of antiviral therapy with the patient.
The new analytical cartridge is intended for use with the portable DASH testing platform, previously developed at the same university for diagnosing COVID-19 and influenza. To conduct the analysis, only 100 microliters of whole blood or plasma obtained from the patient are needed. All stages of the examination are automated: the device sequentially performs lysis of viral particles, sample hybridization, nucleic acid capture on magnetic beads, and real-time qualitative PCR.
The system can detect the six main genotypes of Hepatitis C with a sensitivity limit of approximately 200 international units of viral RNA per milliliter. This makes the test suitable for clinical diagnosis and subsequent treatment prescription. The authors emphasize that they specifically targeted primary care settings—doctors’ offices and clinics lacking full-scale laboratories, where rapid therapeutic decisions are crucial.
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