Mumbai, October 29, 2026: Researchers at IIT Bombay have developed a low-cost blood-screening technology that could help expand access to testing for severe anaemia and sickle cell disease, particularly in areas where well-equipped diagnostic laboratories are difficult to access.
The research team, led by Professor Mahesh Tirumkudulu of IIT Bombay’s Department of Chemical Engineering, developed an automated device that standardises how a drop of blood spreads across a glass slide. The length and other characteristics of the resulting blood film can provide information about blood viscosity and help identify patterns associated with certain blood conditions.
Editorial Insight
Key Highlights
Important points readers should notice.
Issue/Event: IIT Bombay researchers develop a low-cost blood-screening approach for severe anaemia and sickle cell disease.
Location: IIT Bombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra, with field testing in tribal areas of Maharashtra and central India.
Authority/Organisation: IIT Bombay's Department of Chemical Engineering, with research partners including Valsad Raktdan Kendra.
Action Taken: Researchers developed an automated blood-smear device and tested related screening methods using clinical samples and field studies.
Impact: The approach could support access to screening in underserved areas, subject to regulatory approval and further validation.
The study was published in the scientific journal Lab on a Chip. Dr Mahrukh Mir, a former doctoral researcher in the team, was the first author, with Bhavesh Raicha of Valsad Raktdan Kendra as a co-author.
In conventional blood-smear preparation, a technician spreads a drop of blood across a slide. The result can vary depending on the angle, speed and pressure used. To reduce this variation, the researchers designed a device that holds two glass slides at a controlled angle and moves them at a set speed. This creates a more consistent blood film for measurement.
The team found that differences in how blood spreads can reflect changes in viscosity. Because anaemia and sickle cell disease affect blood in different ways, these measurements can provide useful screening information when interpreted using the appropriate procedure.
Editorial Analysis
Why This Matters
Potentially wider access to screening: A low-cost method that uses basic materials could be useful in healthcare settings without extensive laboratory infrastructure. Earlier identification of risk: Screening may help identify people who need further assessment, allowing healthcare professionals to investigate possible severe anaemia or sickle cell disease. Relevance to underserved communities: Sickle cell disease is an important public-health concern in several tribal communities in India. Accessible screening methods could support wider outreach if validated and approved. A different use of familiar laboratory techniques: The study explores how the physical behaviour of a blood drop can provide measurable information, turning a routine laboratory process into a possible screening tool. The need for clinical safeguards: Screening results are not automatically equivalent to a confirmed diagnosis. Appropriate clinical assessment and established tests remain important, particularly when a result is unclear or inconsistent with symptoms.
For severe anaemia screening, the researchers studied 516 individuals and compared the results with haemoglobin measurements. They reported that the method correctly identified 95.1% of people with severe anaemia and 86% of those without the condition in that study. Severe anaemia was defined as a haemoglobin level below 8 grams per decilitre.
The researchers also developed a separate imaging-based method that estimates haemoglobin using the colour intensity of a dried blood film. Tested on more than 1,000 clinical patients, this method showed an accuracy of approximately ±0.5 g/dL compared with standard measurements.
Sickle cell disease screening requires a different procedure because a simple measurement of blood-smear length is not sufficient. The researchers compared blood samples before and after deoxygenation, using an inexpensive chemical to help reveal changes associated with sickling. Field tests involving 394 people in tribal areas of Maharashtra and central India reportedly identified sickle cell disease with about 95% accuracy in the tested group.
The approach could be useful for screening in primary healthcare settings and remote communities, where access to conventional laboratory facilities may be limited. However, the findings represent research results rather than proof that the device can replace established diagnostic procedures in all settings.
IIT Bombay reports that the technology has been licensed to Rheoheme Private Limited, a startup associated with the institute. The researchers are working with the National Institute for Research in Tribal Health in Jabalpur and AIIMS Nagpur towards regulatory approval.
Until the relevant approvals are secured, the device should be considered a developing technology. Its practical role will depend on further validation, regulatory review and how it performs across different patient populations.
