{"133261":{"#nid":"133261","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Utilize Smartphones to Monitor Cancer Treatment","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor individuals receiving treatment for cancer, complete blood counts are vital for assessing the degree of toxicity from treatment with chemotherapy or radiation, which places patients at high risk for serious infections and requires that they remain at home to prevent acquiring infections from public places.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstead of making weekly visits to clinics or commercial laboratories to have blood drawn, patients may one day use a cell phone attachment and software being developed by biomedical engineers to measure platelet count, neutrophil count and hemoglobin levels in real time at home. The information can be obtained from a single drop of blood obtained via finger prick.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnalogous to at-home glucose monitors that diabetics use, the device \u2013 called the Quantum CBC \u2013 uses a cell phone-integrated microscope to analyze the blood, which is loaded into a disposable cartridge. The cartridge contains a channel with a fluorescent dye that binds to platelets and white blood cells, along with quantum dots targeted to neutrophils.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cUsing this system, patients could test themselves whenever and wherever they desire to determine when they are at risk for infection, when they can leave their homes and when they require a transfusion,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=152\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWilbur Lam\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor with a joint appointment in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWallace H.\u0026nbsp;Coulter Department\u0026nbsp;of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University\u003C\/a\u003E and the Department of Pediatrics at Emory University. \u201cThis device will empower cancer patients, allowing them to take an active role in their treatment and enhance their quality of life.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELam is collaborating on this project with\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=2\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGang Bao\u003C\/a\u003E, the Robert A. Milton Chair in Biomedical Engineering and College of Engineering Distinguished Professor at Georgia Tech. The project is supported by the Coulter Foundation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E Georgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E 75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E Atlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Robinson (abby@innovate.gatech.edu; 404-385-3364) or John Toon (jtoon@gatech.edu; 404-894-6986)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter: \u003C\/strong\u003EAbby Robinson\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers are developing software to measure platelet count, neutrophil count and hemoglobin levels in real time at home. The information is\u0026nbsp;vital for assessing the degree of toxicity from treatment with chemotherapy or radiation.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers are developing software to measure platelet count, neutrophil count and hemoglobin levels in real time at home."}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2012-05-30 20:46:48","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:12:18","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-11-02T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2011-11-02T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1440","name":"blood"},{"id":"385","name":"cancer"},{"id":"1439","name":"chemotherapy"},{"id":"594","name":"college of engineering"},{"id":"11533","name":"Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"id":"2639","name":"Gang Bao"},{"id":"34741","name":"mobile app"},{"id":"34731","name":"Quantum CBC"},{"id":"7617","name":"radiation"},{"id":"168908","name":"smartphone"},{"id":"13954","name":"Treatment"},{"id":"14681","name":"Wilbur Lam"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAbby Robinson\u003Cbr \/\u003E Research News and Publications\u003Cbr \/\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E 404-385-3364\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}