The development of immunoassay analyzers is a significant milestone in medicine, especially because it helps deal with the antibiotic misuse crisis. Bacterial and viral infections have historically been difficult to distinguish. As a result, doctors have been prescribing antibiotics for viral infections. This wrong use of antibiotics, aside from leading to inefficient treatments, has contributed to the adaptation of bacteria so that they are resistant to antibiotics.
The problem of distinguishing between bacterial and viral infections has been a challenging one and for good reason. Both types of infections share a lot. They have common symptoms and are transmitted through the same means. In addition, some diseases such as pneumonia can be caused by both bacteria and viruses, further compounding the problem.
Thanks to immunoassays, accurate diagnoses can be made reliably. Bacterial and viral infections can be differentiated and treatment can be administered accordingly. The antibiotic misuse crisis is no longer impossible to contain.
But how do immunoassays work? And what’s an immunoassay in the first place?
Immunoassays
What is an Immunoassay?
An immunoassay is a method of testing for the presence of substances in a sample using either antibodies or antigens. An immunoassay analyzer is a device that uses the immunoassay technique to carry out such a test.
For some time, the only way to carry out an immunoassay was in a central lab. In some situations, this was inconvenient. It was necessary to come up with a point of need testing solution, which has been developed by MeMed, a diagnostics company.
The Body’s Immune System
Immunoassays use the same principle that the body’s immune system uses. When disease-causing microbes such as bacteria or viruses enter the body, the immune system initiates a response that involves the generation of antibodies.
Antibodies are produced by white blood cells. They are made such that they can only attach to a specific type of bacteria or virus. Different types of antibodies are produced, each with a different role. Some of them bind to the foreign microbes, effectively marking them for destruction. Others are responsible for getting rid of the organisms, for example through mucus. The various types of antibodies produced all work together to destroy and remove the foreign microorganisms, protecting the body and ending any resulting infection.
Once they are generated, they stay in the blood. If there are no microorganisms, they will stay dormant.
How an Immunoassay Works
An immunoassay test depends on the prior acquisition of an antibody that is specific to the microorganism in question. A sample is then acquired from the patient. It can be urine, serum, or nasal fluid. If the microbe is present in the sample, the antibody will attach to it.
There’s usually a predetermined event to act as a signal if the antibody successfully binds to the microbe that the test is designed for. In most cases, the color of the solution changes or luminescence is observed.
Point of Need Test
MeMed’s point of need testing solution comes with a range of features and benefits. For one, compared to a central lab immunoassay, the diagnostics company has come up with a solution that is convenient and that has fast results at the point of need. There’s no longer a need to go to a central lab and wait for a while to get results.
Even so, the precision of the point of need test is still the same as that in a central lab. The solution scores highly in specificity and sensitivity, making it a highly effective diagnostics tool.
Ease of use, a compact build, and an expandable test menu are other benefits that come with the most advanced point of need solutions.
