Screen for AIDS and syphilis with your smartphone?

January 29, 2020

AIDS turns a life upside down. To make it easier to carry out the tests, American researchers have launched a smartphone accessory. Its goal: to detect AIDS and syphilis.

A disease with too many damages

AIDS is probably the best-known sexually transmitted or non-communicable disease. Its annual damage is colossal. Many associations are struggling by offering free screening, prevention actions but also support for patients.

In France, “30,000 people are carriers of the virus and not tested” explained Jean-François Delfraissy, virus specialist at the National AIDS Research Agency (ANRS) for France 24. To avoid living without being sick without knowing it, researchers have created an object that could well revolutionize the life of many people.

A simple smartphone accessory

Some people who have risky sex or some addicts dare not go for testing. of the american researchers from Columbia University in New York designed a smartphone accessory which allows screen for AIDS and syphilis in 15 minutes. Fast, but also affordable since the device does will cost around thirty euros (34 dollars or 30 €).

"Combining the microfluidic technique with recent advances in consumer electronics can return some laboratory diagnostics accessible to almost all populations with access to smartphones ”says Samuel Sia, professor of biomedical engineering at Columbia University in New York and lead author of this invention.

Tested in Rwanda

In some areas of the world, recharging your cell phone is difficult due to the energy available. For these locations, the researchers tried to decrease the power consumption of the device.

The device was tested in Rwanda by health personnel out of 96 women who were able to self-Review after a 30 minute training. These women were recruited as part of a program to prevent mother-to-child transmission of AIDS,

A big step forward in the fight against AIDS, in all regions of the world.

(Embed) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TC9XNqSgj4w (/ embed) 

Source: lexpress.com

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