LOS ANGELES, Feb. 2 (UPI) -- Los Angeles scientists say they've developed a biosensor that can correctly identify bacteria 98 percent of the time in urinary tract infections.
The biosensor was used in a recent clinical study conducted by the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System. The biosensor developed by GeneFluidics Inc. correctly identified infection-causing gram negative bacteria species in 98 percent of the tested clinical urinary tract infection urine samples.
Scientists said their study marked the first species-specific detection of bacteria in human clinical fluid samples using a microfabricated electrochemical sensor array.
Of equal importance, researchers said, the new test provided results in 45 minutes, compared with two days required by current methods.
The research is reported in the February issue of the peer-reviewed Journal of Clinical Microbiology.
