In contrast, the microchip uses no radioactivity, produces results in minutes, and requires minimal training to use. Each chip, expected to cost about USD 20 to produce, can be used for upward of 15 tests. The microchip also uses a much smaller volume of blood than the older test; instead of requiring a lab-based blood draw, it can be done with blood from a finger prick. The microchip relies on a fluorescence-based method for detecting the antibodies. The team's innovation is that the glass plates forming the base of each microchip are coated with an array of nanoparticle-sized islands of gold, which intensify the fluorescent signal, enabling reliable antibody detection.

In addition to new diabetics, people who are at risk of developing type-1 diabetes, such patients' close relatives, also may benefit from the test because it will allow doctors to quickly and cheaply track their auto-antibody levels before they show symptoms. The researchers have filed for a patent on the microchip, and are seeking the US Food and Drug Administration approval of the device. The study was published in the journal Nature Medicine.

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