Medical Device creation for emergency diagnostics

1. Novel Bio Capture for earlier warning, targeted treatments and safer discharge.

This talk explored how next-generation bio-capture technologies and biosensors can transform emergency diagnostics by providing rapid, clinically actionable insights at the point of care. Drawing on minimally invasive samples such as blood, saliva, urine and interstitial fluid, these technologies enable the highly selective detection of multiple biomarkers linked to deterioration, inflammation, infection and organ injury, with sample-to-answer results available within minutes. The presentation highlighted emerging innovations including microneedle-based sensing, low-cost disposable cartridges and portable diagnostic platforms designed for use across ambulance, emergency and community settings. Focusing on the practical questions that matter most to clinicians, including which samples are feasible, which results would change patient management, and what evidence is needed for clinicians. In a substance-related emergency, multiplex measurement could potentially combine evidence of exposure with indicators of infection, inflammation and liver, kidney or cardiac injury, providing information about physiological harm rather than merely identifying the presence of a substance.

2. Next generation of lateral flow devices.

Building on the public familiarity and success of COVID-19 home testing to deliver rapid, accessible diagnostics closer to patients., These portable, low-cost technologies provide results in minutes rather than days, reducing reliance on centralised laboratories and enabling earlier intervention and more informed clinical decision-making. The session showcased advances that overcome the traditional limitations of lateral flow tests, bringing laboratory-grade performance to point-of-care environments through innovations in multiplex biomarker detection, technology transfer and hardware translation. Case studies included multiplex testing for hypothyroidism and emerging approaches for heart failure diagnosis, where biomarkers such as NT-proBNP, combined with additional clinical indicators and wearable monitoring technologies, can improve risk stratification and patient management. Near-patient diagnostics in ambulance, emergency-department, community and outreach settings could reduce delays and support earlier treatment for people experiencing substance-related harm.

3. Growing potential of microRNAs (miRNAs) as biomarkers for better health outcomes.

The talk explored miRNAs role in enabling earlier diagnosis, more accurate risk prediction and the delivery of precision medicine in the future. Highlighting the variance between a normal cell, diseased cell and cells responding to drugs. MicroRNAs are short, non-coding RNA molecules that regulate an estimated 30-60% of human gene expression, and disease processes often generate distinctive miRNA fingerprints that can be detected and measured. Abnormal miRNA expression has been linked to a wide range of conditions, including liver injury, hepatitis, hepatocellular carcinoma, multiple cancers, fibrosis, lymphoma, leukaemia, inflammatory disorders, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The session examined how customised miRNA biomarker panels, advanced biosensor technologies, AI and machine learning-assisted disease modelling, and novel drug development approaches could translate this biological knowledge into clinical impact. Offering a significant opportunity to support earlier warning, targeted treatments and safer discharge.

4. The future of the blood science laboratory.

A challenging discussion from the front line of care, about whether current testing approaches are delivering the clinically meaningful insights that patients and healthcare professionals need. While modern laboratory systems are faster, more automated and capable of processing vast numbers of samples, many core blood testing processes remain fundamentally similar to those developed decades ago. The session examined the limitations of current tests, highlighting how some results can be misleading, insufficiently diagnostic or potentially redundant when viewed in isolation. Using the full blood count as a journey through laboratory medicine, the presentation emphasised the continued importance of expert interpretation, where laboratory findings, patient history and clinical context must be considered together rather than as standalone digital results. Looking ahead, the discussion argued that the key question is not simply how to apply AI to existing outputs, but whether technologies should first be evolved or replaced to better answer the underlying clinical question. By combining next-generation diagnostics, richer patient data, demographics, travel history and advanced AI-driven decision support, future blood science laboratories could move beyond reporting numbers to delivering more precise, personalised and actionable insights, helping to bridge the gap between clinicians and the laboratory while improving diagnosis and patient care.

5. Modelling, Digital Twins and AI in Healthcare Technologies.

This talk highlighted how in-silico modelling, digital twins and artificial intelligence are transforming healthcare research and clinical decision-making. By creating virtual patient cohorts that reflect real- world patient populations, researchers can explore disease progression, test interventions and predict outcomes without the time and cost associated with traditional studies. Case studies demonstrated the application of computational frameworks to analyse anaemia and support hypertension risk stratification in patients receiving continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (CF-LVAD) therapy. The session showcased how combining advanced modelling techniques with machine learning could improve risk prediction, personalise treatment pathways and accelerate the development of safer, more effective healthcare technologies. Within the addiction use case, these approaches could help integrate test results, observations and patient history to support—but not automate—decisions about deterioration risk, admission and referral.

6. Biofilms, Microfluidics and Advanced Diagnostics for Healthcare.

This talk showcased how the combination of biofilm science, microscopy, microfabrication, fluid mechanics, advanced instrumentation and software is creating new opportunities for diagnostics, drug discovery and disease monitoring. Research examples explored fundamental questions such as how biofilm viscoelasticity (elastic like measurement) changes as microbial populations grow, whether biofilm integrity can be weakened by altering cellular interactions, and how sensor technologies can quantify biofilm structure and mechanical properties. The application of these innovative approaches could lead to detecting infectious agents expelled through coughing and sneezing, alongside the growing role of droplet microfluidics for rapid drug detection using fluorescence and colourimetric sensing methods. Other use cases in emerging technologies, such as microfluidic patch clamps, demonstrated how human cardiac cells can be monitored in real time to understand how drugs and different dosages influence electrical activity, providing valuable insights into drug safety and efficacy. These technologies illustrate how engineering, biology and digital tools are converging to deliver more precise diagnostics, faster drug development and improved patient outcomes.

7. Advanced Quantum Sensing for Healthcare Applications.

This talk explored the emerging field of advanced quantum sensing and its potential to support an autonomous, healthy and sustainable society through next-generation healthcare technologies. Quantum sensing harnesses uniquely quantum phenomena to achieve ultra-sensitive measurements of magnetic fields, strain, temperature and other physical signals beyond the capabilities of conventional sensors. The presentation highlighted innovations based on solid-state spin defect centres, multiparametric quantum sensors and room-temperature quantum sensing platforms integrated with photonic integrated circuits (PICs), offering new opportunities for practical clinical deployment. Together, these advances have the potential to deliver more sensitive diagnostics, earlier disease detection and a deeper understanding of human health and environmental factors impacting health.

8. Market Insights from Randox and GSMA.

These talks highlighted two different perspectives. Randox explained its global reach in diagnostics, supporting the testing of more than 370 million people annually, representing approximately 5% of the world's population. A key area of market interest is toxicology, with established products already in use including the Toxicology MultiSTAT Drugs of Abuse ToxPlex Urine IVDR and DOA Urine MultiPlex platforms for rapid drugs-of-abuse screening. Looking ahead, the company identified opportunities around responding to emerging and changing drugs of abuse trends, expanding testing into new sample matrices and preparation methods, and developing lateral flow-based toxicology solutions that can deliver fast, accessible and reliable screening closer to the point of need. GSMA, as a world's leading mobile industry organisation is interested in supporting healthcare systems in adopting advanced connectivity to improve patient care and outcomes. They shared about a Connected Medical Devices Call to Action which is planned for December 2026, bringing together healthcare leaders to highlight the growing demand for 5G-enabled medical devices and encourage greater adoption of connected technologies across healthcare systems. Rapid toxicology screening can indicate likely substance exposure, but it cannot independently diagnose addiction or determine clinical severity. Results must therefore be interpreted alongside symptoms, clinical history and indicators of physiological harm.