TRI Analyzer: Inexpensive Device Lets A Smartphone Perform Medical Diagnoses

[Badger]

Inexpensive device lets a smartphone perform medical diagnoses
Inexpensive device lets a smartphone perform medical diagnoses

"Ordinarily, for the spectral analysis of peoples' blood, urine or saliva samples, lab-based machines costing thousands of dollars are required. Needless to say, such equipment isn't always available to clinicians in developing nations, or to patients monitoring their own health at home. Now, however, scientists from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have created a US $550 3D-printed device that works with an ordinary smartphone to do the same tests with just as much accuracy."

"Our TRI Analyzer is like the Swiss Army knife of biosensing," says Cunningham. "It's capable of performing the three most common types of tests in medical diagnostics, so in practice, thousands of already-developed tests could be adapted to it." That said, besides its use in medical diagnostics, it could also be utilized in fields such as environmental monitoring, drug testing, manufacturing quality control, and food safety.

 

[yerrag]

That's really nice. I supposed if they make it into an open system, the tests can become more affordable. I suppose the $550 price can still be lowered.

I don't know how many members are in this forum, but do you suppose if someone offers something like that of a data plan w/free cellphone, and member commits to a monthly plan of so many tests of a certain value, would it work? I hope the device is foolproof so there won't be problems dealing with calibration and instrument as well as user errors.

Perhaps this will usher in a new era of freelance medical technician services that are not tied to laboratories, just to ensure tests are done correctly.