Dried Blood Patterns for Diagnosis of Non-Communicable and Infectious Diseases

Abstract

The emergence of newer infectious diseases, along with non-communicable ones, perpetually challenges the human civilization and alters the course of history. This chapter describes the need for new approaches to tackle these diseases and introduces dried blood patterns as a promising diagnostic approach. We begin by discussing the importance of point-of-care diagnostic tools in developing and developed countries. We then focus on the physics behind drying of blood patterns. Subsequently, we discuss the diagnostic potential of the dried patterns for detecting non-communicable and infectious diseases. In this context, we review a few key pieces of literature using whole blood and plasma as diagnostic tools. We also touch upon the challenges and the emerging directions in this field.