Economical and simple blood and urine tests

2009/01/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Medikuntza

Researchers at Harvard University have developed a simple and cost-effective blood and urine analysis tool for use in developing countries. It consists of alternating layers of paper and scattering that sticks on both sides, is waterproof and does not use energy.

The authors believe that it will be used to diagnose AIDS, malaria and other diseases and have already shown that synthetic urine is used to detect glucose and protein levels. The sample ascends by capillarity by stretch marks on paper, reaching chemical indicators. These indicate by a color change the presence or not of the molecule or microorganism sought in a given sample, or to what extent it is found.

Researchers who invented this diagnostic tool have developed other cheap and useful devices such as a plasma and blood separator centrifuge with an egg shake.

At the moment they are prototypes, but researchers have created a non-profit company, Diagnostics for All, to create tools suitable for developing countries.