A Medical Lab in the Palm of Your Hand
Sure, your cell phone can take pictures and send text messages, but can it detect malaria?
UCLA scientists have found a way to bring medical diagnostic tests to resource-poor areas by transforming cell phones into cheap, portable gadgets that can monitor and detect diseases like malaria and HIV.
As Wired explains:
UCLA researcher Dr. Aydogan Ozcan images thousands of blood cells instantly by placing them on an off-the-shelf camera sensor and lighting them with a filtered-light source (coherent light, for you science buffs). The filtered light exposes distinctive qualities of the cells, which are then interpreted by Ozcan's custom software. By analyzing the cell types present in a much larger sample, a more accurate diagnosis can be made in a matter of minutes.
Currently, the software to analyze these images runs on a desktop computer, but Ozcan’s team is working to create software that runs on the cell phone device itself.
This technology is still in developmental stages, and skeptics are already lighting up online discussion boards. But the promise of quick, accurate and low-cost blood testing in the world's most remote areas is definitely exciting. And if this idea does become a widespread reality, here’s hoping that effective treatment for those diagnosed follows quickly on its heels.
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WOW! This is exciting
WOW! This is exciting technology to hear about especially with the prospects of it reaching areas that are least likely to receive testing for malaria. Greater accessibility could mean swift diagnoses and treatment needed to prevent a case resulting in death. I hope that the testing does not go without education necessary to prevent the disease. It is also a great opportunity for us to reuse some resources we already have and prevent them from ending up in landfills.
Cool!
Wow! It's really amazing this technology if we think that not everyone it's so smart to discover something like this. It's the first time when i hear about how it's the great the mobile.
And too I never known about this :
M-malaria detector
O-ozcan's software enabled
B-blood cells monitor
I-interprets symptoms of disease
L-low on cost
E-efficient and effective.
It is clear that we live in the 21 century.
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