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Mobile Medical Lab — the $10 Phone Microscope

Posted by timothy on from the repurposing dept.

kkleiner writes "Aydogan Ozcan of UCLA has developed a microscope attachment for a cell phone – turning the device into a sort of mobile medical lab. It's both lightweight (~38g or 1.5 oz) and cheap (parts cost around $10). The cellphone microscope can analyze blood and saliva samples for microparticles, red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and water borne parasites. Ozcan and his team have recently won three prestigious awards for the device: a Grand Challenges award from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (worth $100,000), the National Geographic Emerging Explorer award (worth $10,000), and the CAREER award from the National Science Foundation ($400,000). With these funds, Ozcan plans on starting case studies in Africa to see how the microscope can help revolutionize global medicine."

9 of 54 comments (clear)

  1. tricorder by Foofoobar · · Score: 5, Informative

    And the tricorder has been invented. Dammit Jim, I'm playing Tetris not examining blood cells!

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    1. Re:tricorder by JustinRLynn · · Score: 3, Funny

      Do both! Get a Dr Mario UI for it.

  2. Amateur DIY diagnosis? by therealobsideus · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Only thing I would be worried about is (if this hits a free market and consumers can buy the products for this) that people interested in diagnosing their own conditions would attempt self diagnosis. This may drastically help the NGOs in third world countries who are limited by funds to help treat those without access to even basic healthcare. Who knows, it may even bring down the cost of medical care here in the US. Hey, one can dream right?

    1. Re:Amateur DIY diagnosis? by sjames · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I would be more concerned about people who must either diagnose themselves or go undiagnosed being blocked by well meaning (or not) regulators that can't face up to the fact that more people suffer and die because of them than in spite of them.

  3. *twitch* by girlintraining · · Score: 3, Funny

    Ozcan plans on starting case studies in Africa to see how the microscope can help revolutionize global medicine.

    I think it already has, dude.

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  4. Damaging to education by liak12345 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Children in developing worlds will get the completely wrong picture about cellular biology.

  5. Can it detect semen stains in carpeting? by elrous0 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Because I'm not buying it unless it does.

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  6. Re:Medical Usefulness Overstated? by Antony+T+Curtis · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Sickle cell is relatively common in the African Continent. Along with malaria and other parasites (snails?) in areas where there is stagnant water. I think that a portable diagnostic microscope would be of great benefit since there are many conditions rampant in less developed nations that can be diagnosed by looking at the blood, especially if it is possible to transmit the picture to an expert for confirmation.

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  7. Re:Medical Usefulness Overstated? by wurp · · Score: 4, Informative

    Just to point out, sickle cell is common _because_ malaria is common. Having one copy of the recessive gene that causes sickle cell improves immune function against malaria.

    So malaria disproportionally killed people who didn't have the sickle cell gene before they bred.