11 innovative medical devices you need to know from 2018

Smartphone app detects infectious diseases

Researchers at the University of California Santa Barbara have developed a smartphone app that can identify bacteria from patients remotely. The new app will help doctors diagnose diseases and prescribe antibiotics within an hour of an office visit.
The detection app uses a smartphone’s camera to measure a chemical reaction and determine a diagnosis within an hour. The test, being simple and low-cost, could be performed in remote locations around the world.

In tests, the system has shown success in achieving rapid diagnosis of urinary tract infections.

The process of the test is simple. A small sample of patient’s urine is collected and analyzed by the smartphone all using the smartphone’s camera and the included diagnostic kit.

The test can be done rapidly and can be made for less than $100. It uses a smartphone, a hot plate, LED lights and a cardboard box to make a diagnosis. The researchers suggest that healthcare providers can use the test anywhere in the world to diagnose bacterial infections.

Read more about the smartphone app.

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