New microscope can quickly identify bloodborne bacterial pathogens

Researchers from the Barcelona-based Institute of Photonic Sciences have created a microscope that can quickly and easily identify bacterial pathogens within a patient's blood.

The technology for testing blood samples for such bacteria has been around for decades, but it usually requires culturing samples in a lab. This process can take many hours to determine the type of pathogen, during which it is multiplying—and potentially wreaking havoc—inside the patient.

This new process removes the need for culturing as it identifies the pathogen directly from the blood sample. To achieve this, birefringent crystals help users see how polarized beams of light change as they pass through the blood sample. The researchers claim that the microscope can identify and count the number of bacterial pathogens within 30 minutes, though no clinical study has yet to determine if this is true in practice.

This technique can be applied across whole sections of medicine, but for now the microscope is planned to be used for early diagnosis of sepsis. Down the road, the researchers hope to have this technology identify other markers such as microRNAS and interleukins.