Revolutionising healthcare in the 21st century

New nanoelectronics technologies for healthcare applications, including blood-testing kits which can be mass produced using nanowires, will be unveiled next week by Professor Peter Ashburn at UK NanoForum & Emerging Technologies 2009.

Professor Ashburn, Head of the Nano Research Group at the University of Southampton’s School of Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) will deliver a presentation entitled 'Prospects for New Nanoelectronics Technologies in the 21st Century' at the annual event on Tuesday 3 November at London Hilton on Park Lane Hotel.

During his presentation, Professor Ashburn will describe the innovative research facilities at the Southampton Nanofabrication Centre at the University of Southampton, which houses a £100 million state-of-the art clean room, which opened last month.

According to Professor Ashburn, this facility has given a major boost to prospects for new nanotechnologies for healthcare applications and will make it possible to develop a unique method for fabricating nanowires, so that blood-testing kits can be mass-produced. This will mean that routine blood tests can be carried out in GPs' surgeries, rather than needing to be sent to laboratories, with inevitable delays. The researchers are using nanotechnology similar to that commonly used in computer and television displays to develop this new application.

‘Around one billion laboratory tests are performed in the UK each year for disease diagnosis, the monitoring of disease progression and population screening programmes,’ said Professor Ashburn.

‘If the UK is to move to more predictive, preventive and personalised healthcare, biochemical tests will need to be performed on a much larger scale, at a much lower cost and preferably at point-of-care locations, rather than clinical laboratories. Our new method will make this possible.’

For further information contact Joyce Lewis; tel.+44(0)23 8059 5453