Paper and Phones Could Soon Diagnose Ebola and HIV for $1

NEWSWEEK  by Conner Gaffey                               April 16, 2015
Diseases such as HIV and Ebola are on the verge of being diagnosed almost instantly using paper-based technology costing less than $1.

                                       Diseases may soon be tested for via paper and smartphones Getty

The devices, known as biosensing platforms, are made from cheap materials including plastic film and cellulose paper. Results are captured using a smartphone camera and sent back to hospitals or clinics for immediate diagnosis.

Current HIV diagnosis can cost up $48 (45) for a negative test and $64 (60) for a positive test. Checks for Ebola cost some $100 (95), take up to six hours to produce a result and require sophisticated diagnostic equipment, the type of which is often unavailable in western Africa where the disease is especially prevalent.

 A single drop of blood is enough to detect the presence of pathogens including the HIV and E. coli bacteria responsible for common food poisoning.

This potential breakthrough,  pioneered by researchers from Florida Atlantic and Stanford universities, could transform diagnosis particularly in developing countries.

Dr Waseem Asghar, of Florida Atlantic University, who led the biosensing study said “Our idea was to have inexpensive, robust devices which a nurse can use and test all the people in a village and then send the images back from a cellphone.”
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