A Dutch invention looks to change the diagnosis of malaria for good. Haematologist Jan van den Boogaart, together with Austrian biochemist Oliver Hayden, developed the first automated, computerised blood test for malaria. The two have thus won a place in the 'Industry' category of the final of the European Inventor Award.
Malaria is one of the deadliest diseases of our time (someone dies from it every 12 seconds). So far, however, malaria is only diagnosed in 10% of cases. Van den Boogaart and Hayden of Siemens Healthineers took a data-driven approach. Instead of looking at the presence of malaria pathogens in the blood, they used information technology to detect the harmful effects of the disease, indicated by key blood parameters in the blood.
30 parameters
Van den Boogaart was inspired when he spoke to a South African colleague in 2008. The latter had observed that several of his malaria patients showed the same changes in haemograms - or blood profile tests. When viewed in isolation, none of these factors proved sufficient to establish a diagnosis. However, a combination of 30 parameters showed a 'data printout' that identified malaria with 97% certainty.
The inventors received a European patent for their system back in 2011 and then developed a malaria-specific algorithm for the blood-testing system together with a Siemens research group. Van den Boogaart and Hayden are currently working on extending their 'data-printing' method to detect other diseases in blood samples, such as leukaemia.
Fast, reliable and automated testing of large patient populations could be a major step forward in the fight against the disease. Some 3.2 billion people are at risk of malaria. In 2015, 200 million people were affected by the disease, 430,000 of whom did not survive, according to WHO figures. Accurate tests like this one from Siemens could prevent 100,000 deaths.
Van den Boogaart and Hayden's test could also help travellers from western countries who return with a malaria infection. In 59% of cases, malaria is only diagnosed after eight days. Finally, it could also break the vicious cycle of poverty in Africa. Calculations put the economic burden of malaria in African countries - where 86% of infections occur - at some €11 billion a year.
How it works
The key to Van den Boogaart and Hayden's discovery was a statistical method called linear discriminant analysis (LDA). The two researchers calculated the mean levels of certain blood parameters in both malaria-positive and malaria-negative patients using statistical software. This data formed the basis for defining a group of 30 parameters (such as red blood cell density) that could indicate malaria infection.
Van den Boogaart and Hayden developed an algorithm to programme malaria's 'data imprint' into the Siemens ADVIA 2120i haematology system. This automated blood analysis device, which is about the size of a washing machine, is already in operation in clinics around the world (more than 3,000 units). It can create haemograms with 300 to 500 parameters at a rate of 120 blood samples per hour. With almost 100% accuracy, the system identifies malaria in a blood sample even when only low levels of pathogens are present.
Incidentally, the Netherlands is well represented in the finals of the European Inventor Award. In the 'SME' category, Gert-Jan Gruter of Avantium is among the finalists. He developed bioplastic for making bottles. Hans Clevers is nominated in the 'Research' category. The molecular geneticist managed to grow specific stem cells outside the body into mini-organs, so-called organoids.
The final is on 15 June in Venice.
By: Kelly Bakker
Source: European Patent Office
