Open Access

ARTICLE

New Concept to Non-Invasively Screen Iron Deficiency in Patients

by Ali E. Dabiri, Erik Samwel, Ghassan S. Kassab

1 California Medical Innovation Institute, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA
2 3DTholdings, 11107 Roselle St., San Diego, CA, 92121, USA
3 MicroSense, Lowell, MA, 01852, USA

* Corresponding Author: Ali E. Dabiri. Email:

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics 2020, 17(2), 75-83. https://doi.org/10.32604/mcb.2020.08775

Received 07 October 2019; Accepted 24 December 2019;

Abstract

Nearly two billion people are afflicted with iron deficiency and approximately 300 million children globally have anemia. Most of those affected are unaware of their lack of iron, in part because detection of iron deficiency requires a blood test. It is becoming increasingly important to screen these individuals to reduce medical cost and avoid chronic disease conditions. There are limited settings of laboratory infrastructure for standard blood-based tests around the world to routinely accomplish this important screening test. We propose a new concept to use either human hair or nail as a screening method to detect steady state iron content in patients utilizing a sensitive portable magnetometer. The optimum hair/ nail sample weight should be determined for acceptable detection resolution (i.e., acceptable correlation with the results of blood test). The advantages of a portable device are as follows: non-invasive approach, point of care (on the spot) response with patient hair/nail sample to make screening much faster, and make screening for iron deficiency more available and affordable for patients around the world by eliminating current shortcomings of blood-based iron screening. The potential outcome of this concept is of great value to iron deficient patients. An easy, and cost-effective screening system will reduce morbidity, chronic diseases and medical cost substantially throughout the world.

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