In regions where accessing a clinic for routine blood tests poses financial and logistical hurdles, HIV patients now have an alternative: collecting and shipping a drop of their blood using paper-based devices designed to absorb the sample and store it for analysis at distant laboratories. These technologies aid in monitoring adherence to medication regimens or disease progression; however, they often lack mechanisms that control the amount of blood collected, which can lead to inaccurate readings regarding the patient’s infection status.
Recognizing this limitation, Charlie Mace, an associate professor from Tufts University’s Department of Chemistry, along with postdoctoral scholar Giorgio Morbioli and colleagues, developed a paper device featuring wax-printed patterns that create precise channels and collection spots. This design ensures consistent blood volume collection.
In a clinical trial involving 75 South African patients living with HIV, the plasma spot card created by Tufts researchers performed more accurately than the industry standard, the Roche plasma spot card (90.5% vs. 82.7%). Additionally, it was superior in detecting drug-resistant viral mutations (63% vs. 42%), which could influence a physician’s decision regarding medication changes.
Mace and his team published their findings on February 18 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. According to Mace, “Our intuition suggested that since paper has a defined saturation volume per unit area, by patterning spots with specific sizes and shapes, we could predict how much plasma they would collect. Moreover, our cards needed to be compatible with existing workflows to ensure ease of adoption.” Charlie Mace is the senior author of this study.
To conduct the pilot trial, Mace worked alongside HIV experts Michael Jordan and Alice Tang from Tufts University School of Medicine. They collaborated with the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) in Johannesburg, South Africa, a prominent institution for disease surveillance, diagnostics, and public health research. Scientists at NICD provided valuable real-world insights and allowed Tufts researchers to evaluate their plasma spot cards in an active clinical setting.
Mace is currently exploring partnerships with laboratories and researchers both domestically (in the United States) and internationally to integrate this technology into routine practice. His team continues to refine the device, aiming for increased accuracy and functionality while also pursuing commercialization goals.
“We intentionally focus on creating technologies that are simple in terms of both construction and operation,” Mace explained. “Although these restrictions can complicate research efforts, we believe they will ultimately lead to accessibility and affordability—crucial factors in healthcare.”
