Editing Blood test (section)

==Future alternatives==
===Saliva tests===
In 2008, scientists announced that the more cost effective [[saliva testing]] could eventually replace some blood tests, as saliva contains 20% of the proteins found in blood.<ref>{{Cite journal |display-authors=etal |vauthors=Denny P, Hagen FK, Hardt M |date=May 2008 |title=The proteomes of human parotid and submandibular/sublingual gland salivas collected as the ductal secretions |journal=J. Proteome Res. |volume=7 |issue=5 |pages=1994–2006 |doi=10.1021/pr700764j |pmc=2839126 |pmid=18361515}}</ref> Saliva testing may not be appropriate or available for all markers. For example, lipid levels cannot be measured with saliva testing.

===Microemulsion===
In February 2011, Canadian researchers at the University of Calgary's Schulich School of Engineering announced a microchip for blood tests. Dubbed a microemulsion, a droplet of blood captured inside a layer of another substance. It can control the exact size and spacing of the droplets. The new test could improve the efficiency, accuracy, and speed of laboratory tests while also doing it cheaply.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2 February 2011 |title=Microchip offers faster and cheaper way to test blood |url=http://www.ctvnews.ca/microchip-offers-faster-and-cheaper-way-to-test-blood-1.605318 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161003103102/http://www.ctvnews.ca/microchip-offers-faster-and-cheaper-way-to-test-blood-1.605318 |archive-date=3 October 2016 |access-date=2 October 2016 |work=CTV News |agency=Bell Media}}</ref>

===SIMBAS===
In March 2011, a team of researchers from [[University of California, Berkeley|UC Berkeley]], [[Dublin City University|DCU]] and [[University of Valparaíso]] have developed [[lab-on-a-chip]] that can diagnose diseases within 10 minutes without the use of external tubing and extra components. It is called Self-powered Integrated Microfluidic Blood Analysis System (SIMBAS). It uses tiny trenches to separate blood cells from plasma (99 percent of blood cells were captured during experiments). Researchers used plastic components, to reduce manufacturing costs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Taylor |first=Kate |date=2011-03-18 |title=Blood analysis chip detects diseases in minutes |url=http://www.tgdaily.com/general-sciences-features/54744-blood-analysis-chip-detects-diseases-in-minutes |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110325092922/http://www.tgdaily.com/general-sciences-features/54744-blood-analysis-chip-detects-diseases-in-minutes |archive-date=2011-03-25 |access-date=2011-03-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Dailey |first=Jessica |date=2011-03-22 |title=New SIMBAS Blood Analysis Biochip Can Diagnose Diseases In Minutes |url=http://inhabitat.com/new-simbas-blood-analysis-biochip-can-diagnose-diseases-in-minutes/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110326025327/http://inhabitat.com/new-simbas-blood-analysis-biochip-can-diagnose-diseases-in-minutes |archive-date=2011-03-26 |access-date=2011-03-26 |publisher=Inhabitat.com}}</ref>