In a revolutionary leap for neonatal healthcare, researchers from the Critical Analytics for Manufacturing Personalized-Medicine (CAMP) and Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) interdisciplinary research groups (IRGs) of the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MIT’s research enterprise in Singapore, in collaboration with KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH), have co-developed BLIPI — the BiophysicaL Immune Profiling for Infants device. This cutting-edge technology allows doctors to analyse a newborn’s immune function in under 15 minutes, using only a single drop of blood.
This innovation promises to transform early diagnostics in newborn care, offering hope for timely intervention in life-threatening conditions like sepsis and necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) — especially crucial for premature babies.
The Importance of Early Immune Profiling in Newborns
Each year, conditions like newborn sepsis and NEC claim the lives of countless premature infants. These illnesses progress rapidly, yet current diagnostic tools are slow, invasive, and require up to 1 ml of blood — a major concern for premature babies with a total blood volume of just 50 ml.
“Our goal was to create a diagnostic tool that works within the unique constraints of neonatal care — minimal blood volume, rapid turnaround, and high sensitivity,” said Dr Kerwin Kwek, Research Scientist at SMART CAMP and SMART AMR. “BLIPI represents a major step forward by providing clinicians with fast, actionable immune health data using a non-invasive method, where it can make a real difference for newborns in critical care.”
What Is BLIPI and How Does It Work?
BLIPI uses microfluidic technology to measure how immune cells, particularly white blood cells, respond to infection by analysing changes in their size and flexibility. This provides direct evidence of immune system activity, complementing traditional indicators like CRP levels, white cell counts, and neutrophil ratios.
This real-time immune profiling was validated in a study published in Pediatric Research, where 19 infants — both full-term and premature, were tested at multiple timepoints. Notably, BLIPI detected early immune changes in a premature baby who developed a serious blood infection, showcasing its clinical potential.
Transforming Care in NICUs and Beyond
Because BLIPI is portable and produces results at the bedside, it eliminates the delay and stress of sending blood samples to external labs.
“With BLIPI, a single prick to the baby’s finger or heel can give us rapid insights into the infant’s immune response within minutes,” said Assistant Professor Yeo Kee Thai, Senior Consultant at the Department of Neonatology at KKH. “This allows us to tailor treatments more precisely and respond faster to give these fragile babies the best chance at a healthy start not just in their early days, but throughout their lives.”
KKH, which cares for about two-thirds of all babies born weighing less than 1,500 grams in Singapore, sees BLIPI as a vital addition to its neonatal care arsenal.
Looking Ahead: Global Impact and Continued Research
The SMART and KKH team plans larger clinical trials to further validate BLIPI’s effectiveness across diverse newborn populations and medical conditions. The goal is to refine its design for widespread use in hospitals worldwide and potentially enable pharmaceutical companies to monitor real-time immune responses during clinical trials of neonatal therapies.
“BLIPI exemplifies our vision to bridge the gap between scientific innovation and clinical need,” said Professor Jongyoon Han, co-lead Principal Investigator at SMART CAMP, Principal Investigator at SMART AMR. “By leveraging microfluidic technologies to extract real-time immune insights from whole blood, we are not only accelerating diagnostics but also redefining how we monitor immune health in fragile populations.”
BLIPI is not just a diagnostic device — it’s a lifeline for the most fragile members of society. Through rapid, minimally invasive, and highly accurate immune profiling, it empowers doctors to act fast and smart, offering premature babies a stronger start in life.
Why is BLIPI crucial for premature infants?
Premature babies have tiny blood volumes and are highly susceptible to infections. BLIPI’s low blood requirement and rapid response make it ideal for fast, life-saving decisions.
Where will BLIPI be used first?
BLIPI will first be deployed in Singapore’s neonatal care units like KKH, with potential for broader international implementation as trials expand.
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