A new tool developed by an ASU professor and graduate student could make diagnosis in underdeveloped nations quick and easy.
The device can identify infectious disease and unhealthy protein levels, said Antonio Garcia, a bioengineering professor who worked with graduate student John Schneider to design the device.
The device uses light emitting diodes, or LEDs, and microelectronic amplifiers as opposed to lasers or robotics that are currently utilized in advanced hospitals.
The prototype could be developed into something that can be used to provide quick and easy diagnosis in nations that do not have the advanced medical equipment that the U.S. and other nations have, Garcia said.
He stated that a strong motivator in his research was to eliminate a disparity in the amount of diagnostic research between countries.
“Eighty-five percent of the costs associated with medical diagnostics are spent on 15 percent of the world’s population.” Garcia said. “There’s a good chance that the next big infectious disease epidemic will come from parts of the world that are not covered.”
Though the duo is still working to potentially improve the device, they are currently marketing the product to be used in universities and other locations in South America. They published a study announcing their findings in early August.
Garcia explained that the prototype could help alleviate these problems, because it is a much lower cost when compared to other diagnostic equipment. The equipment involved with Garcia’s prototype only cost a few dollars per test.
Garcia said that the current methods can often take 20 or more minutes to gain results. The current prototype can generate similar results in roughly one to two minutes, he said.
“It may not seem like a long time, but it can be for patients,” Garcia said.
Schneider noted that the tool is relatively easy to use compared to current methods. This means that it can be readily utilized in countries that do not have as advanced training as more developed nations.
“For someone with even only entry-level chemistry, it’s really very simple,” Schneider said. “Even if you haven’t gone through chemistry, you can be taught how to do it.”
Bioengineering junior Carolina Tostado, who assisted in analyzing and quantifying protein samples using the prototype, agreed that the device is easy to use.
“I was only a freshman when I completed the research,” Tostado said. “It was just basic stuff from chemistry.”
Despite the relative simplicity in using the device, he indicated that the device is sophisticated enough to give detailed blood results.
“The device can detect changes in the blood that are important in terms of patient health,” Garcia said.
Though the device can greatly increase diagnosis in underdeveloped countries, Garcia said that the plan is not to market the prototype to developed nations, as current methods utilized by these nations are sufficient.
Reach the reporter at michael.reppenhagen@asu.edu
