good news for people who hate large needles: Researchers have invented a device that could allow diagnostics to perform with a single drop of blood. The device is a container to a few millimeters wide, which consists of a conductive core covered with an elastic layer of polydimethylsiloxane or PDMS, a silicone compound. When the liquid is drained out of the PDMS layer wraps around the droplets that result due to its surface tension the same force as the water curl up on the sides of a glass. In this configuration, the droplet can not escape. To release, the researchers simply inserting a thin electrode: Together with the conductive base, the electrode creates an electric field which causes the layer of PDMS to unpack (as above shown). The researchers believe that their container, which is described in a paper published online today in the Proceedings of the Royal Society A could allow blood tests to be performed with a single drop of blood because it would be transported droplets evaporate or become contaminated. This would reduce patient discomfort, and perhaps save time. In addition, the researchers believe that their container can provide tiny amounts of drugs to diseased cells, which avoids having to administer potentially harmful drugs for the entire body.
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