Project »ProVorOrt«

Project description

While modern analytical devices allow us to analyze ever smaller quantities, one crucial step usually goes unmentioned: efficient sampling and sample preparation. Without them, precise and accurate bioanalysis is impossible. These first steps are the invisible heroes that ensure the reliability of the subsequent analysis in the first place.

In practice, sample collection is often considered in isolation from the actual test development. The devices are validated with processed clinical standard samples. Testing in the realistic, and often more complex, sample environments can lead to discrepancies. The results are devices in point-of-care (PoC) environments that are neither sufficiently sensitive nor specific enough.

At Fraunhofer ZDD® we are working to overcome these challenges. Our task is to bring molecular bioanalytics from the laboratory directly to the patient or to the point of sampling. To do this, we are looking for solutions that prepare the sample in as few steps as possible so that the desired target can be effectively detected.

The preservation of samples in order to prevent the degradation of the analyte is also an important part of this.

Contribution to the mission of the Fraunhofer Center for Digital Diagnostics

The sampling and sample preparation project is the first and therefore most crucial step in the entire analytical process and in the subsequent diagnosis of the ZDD. This applies both in the stage of a chronic disease, in acute illnesses and for the prevention of diseases.

Sample collection and sample preparation therefore play an important role in the provision of healthcare to the rural population in Brandenburg. Through targeted sampling, relevant health data can be collected, enabling diseases to be detected at an early stage and treated accordingly. This is particularly important in rural areas, as access to medical facilities is often limited and the distances to specialists are long.

Proper sample preparation ensures that, on the one hand, more precise analyses are possible directly on site and, on the other, that more complex samples can reach the laboratory in optimal condition to provide reliable results. This contributes to the quality of diagnostics and enables fact-based treatment decisions. For the rural population in Brandenburg, this means improved healthcare through faster and more accurate diagnoses, which also means that preventative measures can be implemented more efficiently.

Decentralized sampling also improves the work of mobile care services and general practitioners, who are often the first point of contact for people in these regions. Structured sample preparation enables these healthcare providers to make better use of their resources and provide their patients with greater care. It also improves the traceability of health data, which contributes to more sustainable healthcare.

On the other hand, on-site diagnostics offers more possibilities in the area of lifestyle medicine. It allows patients to test themselves at home in order to take preventive measures themselves and thus reduce the burden on medical care in practices and the healthcare system as a whole.

Vision, advantages and potential industrial benefits

The main objectives of the project for sample collection and sample preparation in healthcare include improving diagnostic quality through adequate, decentralized and precise sampling, promoting preventive medicine through home testing, reducing the burden on the healthcare system by reducing visits to the doctor and increasing the health literacy of the population.

Our approach offers several advantages over the current, conventional approach. These include time and cost savings, faster on-site diagnosis and earlier start of treatment, increased accessibility, especially in rural areas, and a reduction in the risk of infection in medical facilities.

Our solution appeals to various industrial target groups. Manufacturers of diagnostic devices benefit from increasing demand for applications in patients' private environments, pharmaceutical companies from more precise diagnoses that improve treatment, and telemedicine providers who can expand their digital health solutions.