Rapid bedside test for detecting long-term alcohol use
Innovative Point-of-Care Solutions for Long-term Alcohol Biomarkers
['FUNDING_OTHER'] · LIFESPAN TECHNOLOGIES LLC · NIH-11381373
This project is making a quick, low-cost test that can show whether someone has been drinking heavily over the past month, for patients and clinicians to use.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_OTHER'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | LIFESPAN TECHNOLOGIES LLC (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (SALT LAKE CITY, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11381373 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
If you or a loved one were involved, the team would work to create a point-of-care blood test that detects phosphatidylethanol (PEth), a marker that stays in red blood cells for weeks after heavy drinking. The prototype aims to build on recent ELISA advances to cut cost and turnaround time while removing a complex extraction step so the test could work near the bedside or in clinics. Early work will focus on designing the test, lab-based feasibility checks, and pilot testing with blood samples before any larger patient studies. The goal is a simple finger-prick or small blood draw test that gives faster results than current lab-based mass spectrometry methods.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people with suspected heavy or chronic alcohol use, those in addiction treatment programs, or patients in clinics or emergency settings where objective longer-term alcohol exposure information would help care.
Not a fit: People who only need to know whether they drank in the last few hours (short-term intoxication) or those who drink very lightly are unlikely to benefit from a long-term PEth test.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could get faster, cheaper, and more accessible confirmation of recent heavy drinking to guide treatment, counseling, or monitoring.
How similar studies have performed: Mass spectrometry measurements of PEth are a well-established, reliable standard and ELISA methods have reduced cost but still require extraction, while true rapid point-of-care PEth tests are a newer, early-stage approach.
Where this research is happening
SALT LAKE CITY, UNITED STATES
- LIFESPAN TECHNOLOGIES LLC — SALT LAKE CITY, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: NEILSEN, PAUL O — LIFESPAN TECHNOLOGIES LLC
- Study coordinator: NEILSEN, PAUL O
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.