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The main method currently used to badess the presence of viruses and other biological markers of the disease is effective but expensive and bulky. Its use is extremely difficult in many situations, especially because of certain economic and geographical factors. The researchers therefore created and tested a miniaturized alternative system using inexpensive components and a smartphone. Researchers hope the system can help those who are fighting the spread of disease.
A virus scanner for a smartphone may not seem too exciting at first, but this virus scanner does not look for the latest malware; it badyzes biological samples to look for real viruses. This portable, inexpensive, battery-powered device is the brainchild of Yoshihiro Minagawa of the University of Tokyo. It was tested with viruses but could also detect other biomarkers.
"I wanted to create a useful tool for inaccessible or less wealthy communities that could help fight diseases such as the flu," said Minagawa. "Diagnosis is a critical factor in preventing disease, and our device opens the door to better access to essential diagnostic tools."
The latest tools for detecting and counting viruses and other biomarkers, such as fluorescence microscopes, are usually bulky, expensive, slow, and difficult to use. Although very accurate in counting viruses, these tools are just too bulky in many situations, especially when a quick diagnosis is required.
"With two equal samples containing the flu, our system has detected about 60% of the number of viruses badyzed by fluorescence microscopy, but it is much faster and more than enough to produce good estimates for accurate diagnoses," continued Minagawa. "What's really amazing is that our device is about 100 times more sensitive than a commercial flu rapid test kit, and that it's not limited to this type of virus . "
The device is about the size of a brick with a slot on top where you place a smartphone so that its camera looks through a small lens toward the inside of the device. On the screen, via a custom smartphone app, you will see what may look at first glance at a starry sky, except that these stars are actually individual viruses.
The viruses are held in place on a transparent surface in tiny cavities lit by an LED. The surface and surrounding fluid have been designed so that the incident light – the light that strikes the surface directly – from the redirected diode to the camera, is triggered only when the cavity contains a virus. empty. Each cavity contains 48 femtoliters (one billionth of a liter) – it would take more than 10 million for a single human tear.
"This is now possible because smartphones and their integrated cameras have become sufficiently advanced and more affordable, and I now hope to be able to offer this technology to those who need it most," Minagawa concluded. "We also want to add other biomarkers, such as nucleic acids, such as DNA, to the options detected by the device, so we can maximize its utility for those at the forefront of prevention." diseases, thus helping to save lives. "
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Material provided by University of Tokyo. Note: Content can be changed for style and length.
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