This critical waiting time can now be reduced significantly by using a new technology developed by a research team at the Department of Chemistry at Aarhus University and tested on blood samples from 52 patients.
The solution consists of a small instrument with integrated optical measurement technology that precisely measures drug concentration directly in the blood sample, explains Kurt Vesterager Gothelf, professor of chemistry and head of the research group.
"Specifically, you take a blood sample, drop the untreated blood onto a chip inside a small cassette, and you have an accurate reading in under 10 minutes. The sample doesn't need to be sent to a laboratory, centrifuged, or go through a series of manual processing steps that can take up to an hour in the hospital's biochemistry department. The entire analysis happens automatically inside the small cassette," explains Kurt Vesterager Gothelf.
The idea for the research project stems from the professor's basic research field in DNA nanotechnology - a domain that leverages the natural ability of DNA strands to bind precisely to build tiny, structured shapes at a molecular level. This makes it possible to create highly accurate sensors, biological nanorobots, that can, for example, deliver medicine directly into diseased cells in the body.
The breakthrough occurred when Kurt Vesterager Gothelf developed a biochemical testing method capable of recognizing a specific drug molecule and emitting an optical signal upon detection.
"We spent a lot of time exploring which molecules we should even search for in the blood. We quickly learned that being technically able to measure a substance isn't enough. If the test result isn't urgent, the hospital might as well send the sample to its central laboratory and receive the answer an hour or several days later. We needed to find an area where the answer is required immediately," he explains.
Optimizing analysis time has been the central focus throughout the development work.
"Time is everything when dealing with a stroke. The longer an area of the brain goes without oxygen, the higher the risk of tissue death and brain damage. Therefore, acting quickly is vital, and this solution can shave off crucial minutes and provide a significantly better outcome for the patient," says Kurt Vesterager Gothelf.
The challenge in acute conditions such as stroke is determining whether the patient is already undergoing treatment with blood thinners (anticoagulants) as more than 200,000 Danes are.
"When a patient is admitted with an acute stroke, doctors face a dilemma: they need to know immediately if the patient has anticoagulants in their system. If a patient with high levels of such blood thinners receives clot-busting medication, there is a risk of triggering life-threatening brain hemorrhages." explains Kurt Vesterager Gothelf. In such cases, the mechanical removal of the blood clot may be an alternative.
The new technology relies on a filter that separates blood cells directly inside the cassette, combined with specific antibodies and an optical measurement that displays the exact drug concentration.
The method has been tested on blood samples from both Danish and international hospitals, producing results that match traditional central laboratory instruments, only much faster.
In addition to saving time, the instrument is inexpensive.
"Rather than purchasing a large and very expensive laboratory instrument, this solution can be built into a small, compact device costing between DKK 30,000–50,000. This means the equipment could be placed in smaller hospitals or local clinics, avoiding the need to transport patients or samples long distances for a quick answer," says Kurt Vesterager Gothelf.
Although researchers initially focused on blood thinners, the study indicates that the technology can also measure concentrations of other critical substances, including immunosuppressive drugs and antibiotics. This opens up major perspectives, the professor highlights: "There is significant variation from patient to patient in how much medicine is absorbed into the blood. In the future, there is no reason why patients with chronic illnesses or those requiring critical medication could not take the test at home and send the data directly to their doctor."
For now, the primary goal is to bring technology to practical use to make a real-world impact, says Kurt Vesterager Gothelf.
Together with two former PhD students, Line D. F. Nielsen and Malthe Hansen-Bruhn, he co-founded the spin-out company MedicQuant in 2019, which is now further developing and manufacturing the technology.
He expects the technology to be ready for the market within three years, though the biggest hurdle lies in maturing the market and adapting clinical workflows in the healthcare system.
"Our method allows diagnostic testing to be moved right next to the patient. In the US, for instance, there are many small local healthcare clinics that cannot afford large laboratory instruments. A small, affordable instrument like ours be well suited to such settings," explains Kurt Vesterager Gothelf.
The professor believes technology will gain traction in healthcare, but it will require some persuasion:
"People have previously assumed that such complex measurements were impossible without highly specialized central laboratory equipment. The market hasn't realized yet that this technology can deliver the same performance as those expensive central lab systems."
Bridging research and business has yielded valuable insights: "For a spin-out to succeed, you need to believe 100 percent in technology and have the right people with the necessary drive. Furthermore, as a researcher, it is easy to underestimate how much work goes into raising capital and running a business. My own role at MedicQuant has gradually shifted toward an advisory capacity, while the credit for building the company into what it is today belongs to my two former students, Malthe and Line, and the team they have assembled," says Kurt Vesterager Gothelf.
Hansen-Bruhn M, Nielsen LDF, Mortensen M, Vinther J, Spring MK, Villadsen N, Jeminejs A, Comuth W, Lynggaard V, Böttcher M, Kristensen SD, Douxfils J, van de Kerkhof D, Münster AB, Møller HJ, Gothelf KV.
A Point-of-Care System for the Quantification of Small-Molecule Drugs in Blood.
ACS Sens. 2026 Jul 24;11(7):5909-5919. doi: 10.1021/acssensors.6c00741