A tiny piece of paper can diagnose blood disease
Courtesy of George M. Whitesides
Healthcare in developing countries - or rather, the lack thereof - is an issue being tackled from all different angles. Innovative thinking about affordable, effective solutions abounds, including solar powered blankets for charging cell phones so people can receive text message reminders about important health care, to using teleconferencing to treat patients in rural areas.
Part of the problem is access to care in the first place, but another vital issue is the cost associated with getting tests and treatments. That's why a revolutionary new blood testing device is shaking things up. The size of a postage stamp and made of paper and comic book ink, Harvard chemist, George Whitesides has developed a way to test blood for diseases at a cost of just one cent per test.
The tiny square of paper contains water-resistant comic book ink. When blood is dropped onto it, it is pushed down different channels containing chemicals to check for various diseases. The channel will then change color if it detects a disease, somewhat like a pregnancy test. It almost looks like a subway map, but for blood pathogens. And it not only detects the presence of a disease, but also the severity.
This incredibly simple, incredibly cheap device could be a big solution for cost effective detection of diseases, and faster treatment. Here is an excellent TED talk showing how it works.
