Image copyright UCLA, Stockholm University and Uppsala University
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A venture between the universities of California, Stockholm and Uppsala has resulted in them producing a smartphone attachment that is capable of analysing DNA.
A paper published in the Nature Communications says that those responsible for creating the device say it could help doctors diagnose many diseases including cancer and tuberculosis. Not only do they think it could be manufactured at a reasonably cheap price (US$500), but it could have life-changing uses in developing countries.
In an interview with the BBC researcher Professor Mats Nilsson said the device would allow in-the-field medical staff to examine tissue samples. This could save time, which can be critical when it comes to treating some diseases.
Nilsson said the tech could help medics examine tissue samples without having to send them to what might be a remote laboratory.
“In infectious diagnostics, it’s the fastest way to work out if an infection is viral or bacterial, and, if it’s bacteria, to figure out if it carries antibiotic resistant genes or not,” says Nilsson.
It works by utilising a smartphone’s camera. A tissue sample is placed under a special lens fitted to the camera. Two laser diodes and a white LED beam light into the sample in a pre-set sequence. The images are then fed into an algorithm for analysis.
The BBC also stated that there is another company, Britain’s Oxford Nanopore, is working on similar technology that is similar and can provide better data. Its device will be about the size of matchbox and is looking to be released near the end of 2017.