Microfluidic–Raman system cuts infection diagnosis to 20 minutes

Researchers have developed a culture-free diagnostic platform capable of identifying microbial infections in just 20 minutes, potentially transforming clinical decision-making and efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance.

The system, known as AutoEnricher, integrates microfluidic sample processing with Raman micro-spectroscopy and machine learning to enable rapid, single-cell pathogen identification directly from patient samples. The approach eliminates the need for time-consuming laboratory culture, which can take days and often leads to precautionary antibiotic prescribing.

Developed by engineers and clinicians from the University of Glasgow and collaborators in China, the platform first removes human cells from blood, urine, or spinal fluid using a custom microfluidic device. Remaining pathogen cells are then analysed via Raman spectroscopy to generate unique chemical fingerprints. A trained machine learning model compares the spectra against a database of 342 clinical isolates representing 36 bacterial and fungal species.

In a study [1] published in Nature Communications, the team validated the system using 305 real patient samples provided by three hospitals in China. AutoEnricher achieved 95% agreement with conventional culture methods and was able to detect mixed infections that standard lab tests failed to identify. Notably, the system required as few as 10 pathogen cells to generate a diagnosis.

By dramatically compressing diagnostic timelines, the researchers say the technology could support more precise antibiotic selection and reduce unnecessary antimicrobial use - a key driver of resistance.

Professor Jon Cooper of the University of Glasgow said the technology “compresses diagnostic timelines and enhances antimicrobial decision-making,” enabling clinicians to match the right antibiotic to an infection at the right time.

Further large-scale clinical evaluation is now planned to assess the system’s performance in broader healthcare settings.

More information online

1. Rapid culture-free diagnosis of clinical pathogens via integrated microfluidic-Raman micro-spectroscopy published in Nature Communications