MIT researchers have unveiled CircTrek, a wearable device capable of noninvasively detecting individual cells circulating in the bloodstream. Roughly the size of a smartwatch, CircTrek uses a laser-based detection system and fluorescent labeling to continuously monitor cellular activity beneath the skin with single-cell resolution.
Unlike traditional blood tests, which offer only periodic snapshots, CircTrek enables real-time data transmission via Wi-Fi, providing clinicians with constant updates on a patient’s condition. This advancement could revolutionize how diseases are diagnosed, monitored, and treated, particularly in therapies like CAR T-cell treatment, where monitoring the persistence of therapeutic cells is crucial to patient outcomes.
The device functions by targeting labeled cells, such as genetically modified or antibody-tagged immune cells, with laser pulses that trigger fluorescence. Custom-built filters and circuits minimize noise from natural bodily signals, such as heartbeats, to ensure accurate detection.
Initial lab testing using human skin models and the dye Cyanine5.5 showed CircTrek can detect individual fluorescent cells safely, without causing tissue damage. The entire circuit fits into a 42×35 mm board, making it comfortably wearable.
MIT’s innovation opens new doors to personalized medicine and continuous patient monitoring, potentially improving early disease detection, assessing treatment response, and supporting better clinical decisions.
Article written by Michaela Jarvis
23/04/2025
Source:
MIT News