A group of scientists from the National Institute of Technology Calicut (NIT Calicut) has developed a highly sensitive and affordable point-of-care (POC) device that could enable early diagnosis of sepsis right at the patient's bedside.

Sepsis is a serious medical condition caused by an infection that can lead to multiple organ failure, shock, and even death. Early diagnosis is crucial for timely therapeutic intervention and improving patient outcomes.

The device, developed by Dr. N. Sandhyarani, Professor at NIT Calicut and her team, features an electrochemical biosensor designed for the rapid and accurate detection of endotoxins—key biomarkers found in the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria that signal the presence of an infection that could lead to sepsis.

According to a release from the Ministry of Science and Technology, the team has created eight distinct sensor architectures —seven based on electrochemical detection and one on optical detection. In all the sensors, they have used appropriately modified nanomaterials such as gold atomic clusters or nanoparticles, CuO, or Cu nanoclusters, MoS₂, reduced graphene oxide, or carbon nanotubes, it said.

Following the development of various sensor surfaces, the team built and tested a portable, cost-effective electrochemical biosensor prototype specifically for endotoxin detection. Using the standard addition method, the device detects endotoxin in blood serum, providing results within 10 minutes.

This research, supported by the Nano Mission of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), has resulted in seven publications in reputed international journals such as Biosensors and Bioelectronics, Langmuir, Analyst, and Analytica Chimica Acta, along with one granted patent for the prototype device.

The team is now working to further enhance the sensitivity of the prototype through improved electronic design, aiming to deliver a highly sensitive and selective point-of-care device suitable for rapid, bedside biomarker detection.