Smartphone accessories recognize HIV

Researchers are developing mini-labs for mobile phones

05/02/2015

Diseases such as HIV or syphilis could in future faster and cheaper by means of a „Mini-labs“ be diagnosed in the smartphone. This report researchers from Columbia University in New York currently in the journal "Science Translational Medicine". Accordingly, the new device requires little power and is especially suitable for use in developing countries. This could create a new opportunity to curb the spread of sexually transmitted infections in the affected countries.

Many HIV and AIDS-infected people lack access to treatment or testing
In order to diagnose diseases such as HIV or syphilis, so far expensive and expensive tests were necessary, which could be performed only in hospitals or health centers. A difficult situation, with two-thirds of all people living with HIV and AIDS living in southern Africa, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), and therefore in most cases lacking access to treatment or reliable testing. As a result, many sufferers are not even aware of their disease, which further aggravates the AIDS problem in developing countries.

Small attachable lab unit is connected to smartphone
But now a new device could provide a remedy, which does not require a regulated power supply and thus enables a fast and reliable diagnosis directly on site. Tassaneewan Laksanasopin of Columbia University, New York, and his colleagues in the journal Science Translational Medicine report that this is an infectious laboratory unit connected to a smartphone that is so small that the phone will continue to do well fit in one hand. As the researchers further explain, the mini-laboratory consisted of a kinked plastic container, which in the upper part already called reagents for three different „immunoassays“ contains. These are a series of bioanalytical methods that react to disease-specific antibodies in the blood and can therefore detect HIV and active and inactive syphilis.

A drop of blood from the fingertip is enough
For the new test device already a drop of blood from the fingertip of the patient, which
diluted on the lower part of the container is given. From there, the blood is transported by means of a small rubber pump in the test area, then the result would be transmitted via the speaker jack of the smartphone to a previously installed software. The mobile phone attachment does not need its own power, he also reusable after proper cleaning. „The speaker jack on the phone is enough to power the entire analysis process, including washing and data transfer, "the researchers explain.

Mini-laboratory opens up new possibilities of medical care and prevention
As a result, the mini-laboratory can also be used in places where there is no regulated power supply, thus opening up entirely new possibilities for medical care and prevention. „If we detect more syphilis infections early on, we can reduce deaths from the disease tenfold, "writes senior author Samuel Sia of Columbia University, adding that mobile mini-labs will help HIV detect and treat HIV more quickly in the future which would be a new opportunity, especially in developing countries, to stop the rapid spread of the disease.

One battery charge is sufficient for 41 tests
The suitability of the devices had already been tested in a clinic in Rwanda, according to the researchers, by five native nurses had already successfully used the test after a short introduction in patients. Accordingly, it had been shown that 41 patients could be tested for HIV and syphilis with a fully charged smartphone and infected minilab. To check the accuracy and reliability of the device, the researchers had examined a second sample of blood in the laboratory, whose infection status was previously unknown: „With a sensitivity of 92 to 100 percent and a specificity of 79 to 100 percent, the results of our triple test met those of the medical gold standard, "report Laksanasopin and his colleagues.

Production price of only 34 US dollars It also showed that the test reagents lasted up to six months, which is an important aspect against the background of potential use in developing countries. Because this causes the new test device with a production price of around 34 $ significantly less cost than a normal laboratory equipment, which would normally cost about 20,000 US dollars. Now researchers are planning a larger study that will hopefully help WHO quickly approve the new device so it can be deployed as soon as possible in the affected areas. „This work shows that the coupling of microfluidics with recent advances in consumer electronics could enable certain laboratory-based diagnoses for virtually any population with smartphone access“ , the researchers in "Science Translational Medicine". (No)