Hand-held device sought to detect DVT

BRUSSELS, Aug. 28 (UPI) -- The European Commission has asked scientists to develop an accurate handheld detector of potentially fatal deep vein thrombosis.

The commission has allocated about $5.25 million for the project to 11 research firms with a three-year timetable attached.

Current tests can accurately detect DVT in only about 30 percent of patients, Britain's Daily Telegraph reported Monday. The wrong diagnosis could put a patient at risk via unnecessary drug regimes as well as keep them from traveling by air.

DVT is a blood clot that can form in a vein as a result of illness, immobility or even from prolonged computer surfing. If a vein breaks, the clot can lodge in the lung, which could be fatal.