The prototype electrochemical biosensor is being developed by University of Edinburgh-based scientists SensiBile and Scottish technology company Integrated Graphene.
The new diagnostic tool, which is currently in the early stages of development, uses a small sample of bile from the donor’s liver to assess the organ’s risk of biliary complications before it is transplanted.
Electrodes in the sensor, developed by Integrated Graphene and dubbed Gii-Sens, will pick up any risk of complications from the bile and quickly translate the signal into a “high risk/low risk” message on the device.
At present, doctors transplant over 30,000 donor livers annually worldwide. But up to 30 per cent of the transplanted livers will develop biliary complications, a major factor determining long-term patient survival following a liver transplant.
The team of scientists and experts behind the test hopes it will help surgeons to make immediate, informed decisions regarding...