We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
LGC Clinical Diagnostics

Download Mobile App




World’s First Portable, Non-Invasive WBC Monitoring Device to Eliminate Need for Blood Draw

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 16 Oct 2023
Print article
Image: PointCheck is the world’s first device for non-invasive white cell monitoring (Photo courtesy of Leuko Labs)
Image: PointCheck is the world’s first device for non-invasive white cell monitoring (Photo courtesy of Leuko Labs)

One of the toughest challenges for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy is experiencing a low count of white blood cells, also known as neutropenia. These cells play a crucial role in warding off infections. A low count leaves patients, who are already vulnerable due to cancer, susceptible to other diseases. Furthermore, if the white blood cell count drops too much, it can become risky to proceed with additional chemotherapy sessions. Monitoring these cell levels is therefore critical for patient care. Now, a new portable device allows patients to monitor their white blood cell counts from the comfort of their homes, without needing to draw blood. This is a game-changer as it enables more frequent testing for millions of patients with compromised immune systems, ultimately improving their clinical results and quality of life.

Leuko Labs Inc. (Boston, MA, USA) is developing PointCheck, the first-of-its-kind device that noninvasively screens for severe neutropenia. The device works by imaging blood as it flows through the capillaries in the finger, enabling it to determine whether white blood cell levels have reached critically low points, all without the need for a blood sample. Designed for home use, the finger-based test involves shining light onto the skin near the fingernail to capture images of blood cells in the surface-level capillaries. The device then uses Leuko Labs' specialized AI algorithms to assess whether the white blood cell count is dangerously low in just one minute.

The key benefit of PointCheck lies in its ability to flag elevated infection risks, thus prompting timely preventive treatments before an actual infection takes hold. Detecting severely low levels of neutrophils—a common subtype of white blood cells—early and continuous monitoring can prevent serious infections such as febrile neutropenia. Because PointCheck is noninvasive and quick, it empowers patients to monitor their own neutrophil levels at home, facilitating timely and effective treatment.

Related Links:
Leuko Labs Inc.

Gold Member
Pharmacogenetics Panel
VeriDose Core Panel v2.0
Verification Panels for Assay Development & QC
Seroconversion Panels
New
Auto Clinical Chemistry Analyzer
cobas c 703
New
Community-Acquired Pneumonia Test
RIDA UNITY CAP Bac

Print article

Channels

Molecular Diagnostics

view channel
Image: The Mirvie RNA platform predicts pregnancy complications months before they occur using a simple blood test (Photo courtesy of Mirvie)

RNA-Based Blood Test Detects Preeclampsia Risk Months Before Symptoms

Preeclampsia remains a major cause of maternal morbidity and mortality, as well as preterm births. Despite current guidelines that aim to identify pregnant women at increased risk of preeclampsia using... Read more

Microbiology

view channel
Image: The lab-in-tube assay could improve TB diagnoses in rural or resource-limited areas (Photo courtesy of Kenny Lass/Tulane University)

Handheld Device Deliver Low-Cost TB Results in Less Than One Hour

Tuberculosis (TB) remains the deadliest infectious disease globally, affecting an estimated 10 million people annually. In 2021, about 4.2 million TB cases went undiagnosed or unreported, mainly due to... Read more

Technology

view channel
Image: Schematic illustration of the chip (Photo courtesy of Biosensors and Bioelectronics, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bios.2025.117401)

Pain-On-A-Chip Microfluidic Device Determines Types of Chronic Pain from Blood Samples

Chronic pain is a widespread condition that remains difficult to manage, and existing clinical methods for its treatment rely largely on self-reporting, which can be subjective and especially problematic... Read more

Industry

view channel
Image: The collaboration aims to leverage Oxford Nanopore\'s sequencing platform and Cepheid\'s GeneXpert system to advance the field of sequencing for infectious diseases (Photo courtesy of Cepheid)

Cepheid and Oxford Nanopore Technologies Partner on Advancing Automated Sequencing-Based Solutions

Cepheid (Sunnyvale, CA, USA), a leading molecular diagnostics company, and Oxford Nanopore Technologies (Oxford, UK), the company behind a new generation of sequencing-based molecular analysis technologies,... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.