Slashdot Mirror


DIY Biochemical Scanner From a Hacked CD Drive

holy_calamity writes "Turns out hacking two extra light sensors into a CD drive can turn it into a lab scanner to read the results of high-accuracy immunoassays used to detect disease markers or pathogens, New Scientist reports. The drive proved able to detect pesticides at concentrations as low as 0.02 micrograms per liter."

3 of 70 comments (clear)

  1. let me guess by HalifaxRage · · Score: 5, Funny

    Let me guess.... MacGyver happened to haev a paper clip and a rubber band beside the computer.

    --
    bomb the us up set someone
  2. Biological samples by LiquidCoooled · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm sure some people have already been using CD drives with biological samples smeared across the disks.

    Mental note: never rent porn dvds.

    --
    liqbase :: faster than paper
  3. Rooted by Chyeld · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sadly, the drive was later mistaken as a normal CD drive and one of the researchers attempted to play the collection of Sony CD's on it. Now the drive refuses to do anything, claiming the pesticides are patented and trademarked and detecting them would be a violation of someone's Intellectual Property.