The importance of conducting quick tests for infectious diseases has come to light like never before with the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus. Building on the same, a research team led by an Indian-American has now come up with a quick and non-invasive way that uses a mobile phone to detect infectious diseases.
The Cornell researchers’ team, led by Saurabh Mehta, has been awarded the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Technology Accelerator Challenge prize for the innovation. The challenge encourages the development of new, non-invasive diagnostic technologies to monitor global health. The prize won by the team is a whopping USD 100,000 (Rs 73,69,490) grant.
(Representative Image: Reuters)
Mehta explains the importance of using salivary biomarkers for such non-invasive diagnostics. As per Mehta, such diagnostic technologies could revolutionize how health conditions like malaria and iron deficiency are identified. Such ways of diagnostics are especially of importance in settings where access to laboratory-based tests is limited.
“This concept provides noninvasive, rapid and accurate results anywhere in the world. A breakthrough in such mobile diagnostics could provide untold health benefits for vulnerable populations globally,” Mehta said cin a release.
Saliva test on phone
The test created by the research team is unique and uses smartphones for diagnostics. It requires the saliva of the subject to be tested using a small 3D-printed adapter that is clipped to a mobile phone. The smartphone is further synced with a mobile app.
The app uses the smartphone’s camera to test images of saliva strips. Using this mechanism, it is able to detect malaria, iron deficiency and inflammation. The team claims that the setup is able to deliver results in under 15 minutes.
(Representative Image: Shutterstock)
The new testing method builds on two existing platforms – FeverPhone and NutriPhone, which were developed by the team at Cornell’s Institute for Nutritional Sciences, Global Health and Technology (INSiGHT). These technologies, however, tend to diagnose infections and nutritional status using blood.
“These types of potentially world-changing innovations are only possible when you foster strong multidisciplinary research and a culture of innovation, such as we do here at Cornell,” said David Erickson, another researcher on the team.
Article Credit: indiatimes