Worried She Has The AIDS? $34 Phone Gadget Will Test Her (1 Viewer)

[cstu]

Your phone can diagnose AIDS or syphilis

By Noel Angeles / February 8, 2015

The device replicates the functions of a blood test such as ELISA. One of the most common tests for the AIDS virus and the bacterium Treponema pallidum in syphilis is the ELISA test (English Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, linked to immunosorbent assay enzymes). The equipment used for this test is in laboratories and cost about $18,000.

A group of researchers led by Professor Samuel K. Sia from Columbia University has developed a compatible phone gadget that is worth only $34. It can produce and perform the same test in 15 minutes. For the first time, this device replicate all mechanical, optical and electronic blood tests with ELISA functions. In particular, it performs a triple antibody test: the HIV-specific test, one test for syphilis and one for other bacterial infection.

The new accessory or dongle connects easily to any Smartphone, either an iPhone or an Android phone system and it has two important innovations. First, a large black button that, when pressed, triggers a vacuum chamber and a sequence of reagents pre-stored in a cassette. It activates with the patient’s blood sample obtained by a simple finger #####. The other development is that the accessory does not need batteries. The energy and data transmission is performed directly through the audio jack with all phones. The details of the system are published in the journal “Science Translational Medicine“, and the final result is that the user can see on the screen of the mobile phone if there is positive or negative test result.

“Putting the latest developments in consumer electronics with microfluidic laboratory diagnosis can became accessible to almost any population that has access to a Smartphone,” says Sia “and this ability can make health services present in all parts of the world.” The device have been successfully applied by Rwandan health workers in 96 patients. Doctors have demonstrated the efficiency of the system for the rapid detection of AIDS and syphilis with this simple technology that does not require a lot of energy. “If people increase detections of syphilis infections, we could reduce deaths up to ten times and in the case of HIV, antiretroviral therapy can be provided immediately,” says Sia, who also highlights the contributions of the new dongle in early diagnosis and treatment of pregnant women to reduce the transmission of these diseases to their babies.

 

[Raider Nation]

Is there a test to find out if she's a Red Sox fan? That's even worse.

 

[chauncey]

Funny that finger ##### is filtered.

Great in theory, horrible in practice. If I'm drunk enough to want to rawdog a skank that I think may have the aids I am certainly not going to remember/care to whip out my iphone aids detector app. And nothing kills the mood more than "Hey you are really pretty but because you are such a slut I am going to have to check you for aids first!"

I could however see this being popular among gay men. The risk is much higher and the anti-slut defense is much lower, so I hear.

 

[Soulfly3]

I could however see this being popular among gay men. The risk is much higher

 

[chauncey]

On a serious note, this is an impressive development in the medical/technology field and will probably benefit many in certain parts of the world where AIDS and syphilis are problems.

 

[MaxThreshold]

On a serious note, this is an impressive development in the medical/technology field and will probably benefit many in certain parts of the world where AIDS and syphilis are problems.

The Chicago Bears training camp?