(538a) Point-of-Clinic Sensor for Precision Medicine to Tackle Diabetic Retinopathy

About 10 million people in the US suffer from diabetic retinopathy, which can cause severe vision impairment or even blindness if not managed properly. These conditions are closely related to abnormal blood vessel growth in the retina, and therefore, the first-line treatment is the intravitreal injection of angiogenesis inhibitors, such as antibodies targeting VEGF and/or Ang2. However, no method currently exists in a clinic to determine which inhibitors would be more effective for each patient. Inaccurate or delayed treatments can result in permanent visual loss. Effective technologies are urgently needed to identify which molecules need to be targeted for each patient in a clinic. To address this critical problem, we have developed a rapid and sensitive diagnostic technology that can quantify cytokine levels in aqueous humor in a local clinic. Termed Immuno-Magnetic Oximeter-based Sensor (IMOS), it can quantify multiple cytokines as low as 25 pg/mL in <50 μL aqueous humor within 30 min. Moreover, it has the form factor of a smartphone. Its detection power comes from an oximeter module, which is widely used in a portable fingertip pulse oximeter device. We are the first to use its advantages for biomolecular detection. Our technology has the potential for precision medicine to tackle diabetic retinopathy. The technology details will be presented in this talk.