Diagnosing Influenza on a Smartphone
November 12, 2019 | Terry Sharrer
Engineers at the University of Tokyo have designed a battery powered device which can array and stain a sample to be scanned by smartphone for influenza virus particles. “Any viruses that are present get stained with a dye that’s added to the sample. When an LED inside the device subsequently illuminates each cavity, that dye fluoresces, causing the viruses to appear as bright spots against a dark background. The phone’s camera lens lines up with a magnifying lens built into the device, allowing users to see (and count) those lit-up viruses via an app on the screen.” MORE
Image Credit: University of Tokyo, Minagawa et al