The white blood cell (WBC) count is routinely measured in clinical laboratories using benchtop hematology analyzers. However, this conventional method can delay time-sensitive diagnosis and treatment. To improve this method, researchers have developed a handheld, electronic microfluidic-based device to measure WBC and granulocyte counts. This portable WBC analyzer uses only 50 ฮผl of blood to produce results within five minutes. The device was tested in 210 patients with bacterial or viral infections .
The device produced results comparable to a standard benchtop analyzer in the study. It produced linear dynamic ranges of 2.5 k/ml - 35 k/ml and 0.6 k/ml - 26 k/ml for WBCs and granulocytes, respectively. Notably, the device identified leukopenia, leukocytosis, agranulocytosis, and granulocytosis with over 90% sensitivity and specificity. The findings suggest the handheld WBC analyzer is aโฆ
