In a paper published yesterday in Science Translational Medicine, researchers tested a low-cost smartphone attachment (a “dongle”) that detects the presence of HIV and syphilis antibodies using ELIZA technology. While the research took place in Rwanda and highlights the usefulness of such technology in low-resource settings, the implications are potentially far-reaching in terms of point-of-care and direct-to-consumer testing.
What do you think? Do you think using smartphone attachments could replace full laboratories in the not-so-distant future?
–Kelly Swails, MT(ASCP), is a laboratory professional, recovering microbiologist, and web editor for Lab Medicine.
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