A new study is aiming to take mhealth to another level with the deployment of apps for diagnostic purposed. The app is being developed by researchers at the Columbia University in New York, can detect HIV and syphilis.
The test involves taking a blood sample which is placed on a small chip then plugged into a smartphone. After 15 minutes, an app on the smartphone displays the results on the phone screen. The smartphone ELISA is also revolutionary in terms of cost.
A single machine in a lab could cost over $18,000, which is over 500 times the cost of the app. According to the team behind the innovation, it would cost about $35 to manufacture the smartphone device.
Researchers are looking for ways to introduce the invention to the market, after it proved successful in Rwanda where it was used in testing for HIV and syphilis in expectant mothers.
