Researchers at Arizona State University have developed NasRED, a rapid and portable diagnostic tool that can detect infections such as COVID-19, Ebola, AIDS, and Lyme disease using just a single drop of blood.

This innovative device costs approximately $2 per test and delivers results within 15 minutes, making it an essential tool for emergency health scenarios and routine healthcare.

NasRED achieves a sensitivity that is about 3,000 times greater than the ELISA method, allowing it to identify disease-related proteins at concentrations 100,000 times lower than standard laboratory tests.

The device is user-friendly and portable, making it suitable for various settings, from rural clinics to urban hospitals, without requiring specialized training to operate.

This technology is particularly significant for low- and middle-income countries where access to reliable diagnostics is limited, potentially improving early detection and intervention for infectious diseases.

The affordability and portability of NasRED could significantly enhance early detection of infections, especially among hard-to-reach populations, such as those using injection drugs.

Future developments aim to miniaturize and automate NasRED, potentially allowing its use in home settings and expanding its applications to chronic illnesses and cancer detection.

NasRED aims to address diagnostic errors, which contribute to nearly 800,000 deaths or disabilities annually in the U.S., by enabling early detection and treatment of infectious diseases.

A study published in ACS Nano highlights NasRED's ability to differentiate COVID-19 from other diseases, enhancing clinical decision-making and infection control.

Overall, NasRED represents a significant advancement in medical diagnostics, combining speed, sensitivity, and affordability to improve healthcare delivery globally.

The device's ease of use allows healthcare workers with minimal training to operate it, which is crucial in low-resource settings and can significantly improve public health outcomes.

Preliminary tests have shown that NasRED can achieve comparable sensitivity to established molecular tests, such as Abbott ID NOW, for various diseases.