Detecting cancer, HIV and Hepatitis can now be possible through the use of a smartphone, following a groundbreaking discovery in southern Turkey.
Turkish scientists at the İzmir High Technology Institute (İYTE) have developed a much affordable and easier way to detect cancer, HIV and Hepatitis using merely a smartphone.
With project "BİORGB," Ümit Hakan Yıldız, an assistant professor, chemistry student Hakan Berk Aydın and computer engineering student Cihan Toklucu have developed a software that can send a detailed blood test analysis after receiving a drop of blood from the patient.
"A drop of blood is placed on a special kind of paper that changes colors based on the patient's disease. We take a photo of it on a smartphone whereby the results are received in graphic format by looking at the color changes and density," Yıldız said.
The scientists say the software can detect the common flu, certain cancer types as well as Hepatitis B and C, much faster.
It usually takes 24-to-48 hours to get the results of blood tests, but the new innovation significantly shortens the wait time without taking a tube of blood from the patient. Yıldız said some countries, especially those suffering from epidemic diseases, have already shown interest in their project.
"This technology makes it possible for a physician to do the blood tests themselves," Yıldız continued.
Berk Aydın pointed out that the software eliminates the need to use medical devices for blood tests as well as the need for a professional team since the software is easy to learn and user-friendly. Funded by TÜBİTAK, the project will be ready for the end user within 2017.
