Illinois researchers to develop smartphone diagnostics lit for infectious diseases

Infectious diseases such as Zika and Dengue remain a top contributor to death and disability across the globe, according to the World Health Organization. Diagnosing and treating these diseases, which often have similar symptoms, is especially difficult in developing countries, where access to health care and laboratories is often limited. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are developing a lab-on-a-smartphone system that will enable healthcare professionals to detect disease at the point of care. Funded by the National Institutes of Health, the 4-year grant will enable the team to develop a handheld instrument that can detect and report the presence of pathogens in less than 30 minutes using a single drop of blood – all with a smartphone clip-on instrument that costs less than $10. “This device can substantially reduce the time, cost, and inconvenience of doing a standard lab test, while still incorporating all the controls that make the...