B-PHOT develops diabetes monitoring system in EIC Pathfinder project VortexLC

Within the European Innovation Council Pathfinder project VortexLC, B-PHOT is developing a sensitive optical detection system that has the potential to greatly improve how we monitor diabetes and enhance healthcare outcomes.

VortexLC, short for 'Vortex enhanced liquid chromatography for HbA1c monitoring based diabetes management in a globalized setting', involves collaboration with six European partners, including three from Vrije Universiteit Brussel (B-PHOT Brussels Photonics, µFlow, and the Laboratory of Hematology and Clinical Chemistry of UZ Brussel), along with Joanneum Research in Austria, the National Center for Scientific Research Demokritos in Greece, and CPI in France.

Long-term management of diabetes relies on the assessment of glycated hemoglobin, also known as glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c). However, this test requires specialised laboratory equipment and in individuals with hemoglobin variants it fails to accurately estimate the HbA1c fraction. To address this need, the EIC-funded VortexLC project aims to develop a novel device capable of providing an improved HbA1c analysis at the point of care. Researchers will undertake technological advances to miniaturize the assay and enable the quantification and identification of hemoglobin variants in an easy and cost-effective manner suitable for millions of diabetes patients worldwide.

Within the framework of this project, B-PHOT is developing a sensitive optical detection system designed for quantifying and identifying hemoglobin fractions within a lab-on-a-chip module. This advanced technology has the potential to improve how we monitor diabetes and enhance healthcare outcomes greatly.

"Diabetes is one of the main health risks today with a near pandemic dimension, silently impacting millions worldwide", says B-PHOT researcher Sara Abbasi. "It is a silent threat, but early diagnosis and proper care can make all the difference. We are on a mission to develop an affordable point-of-care device for monitoring HbA1c (Hemoglobin A1c) in a globalized setting."

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon EIC Pathfinder Open 2021 under the grant agreement ID 101047029.