(02/12/14) - Cell phones may turn out to be the next big medical breakthrough.
From diagnosing disease to detecting food poisoning, researchers say cell phones may truly be life-savers.
Hannah Gooch is allergic to eggs. Spike Loy has diabetes.
"Since age seven and a half, you know, between two and 10 blood tests a day," Loy said.
Both could one day benefit from a medical breakthrough that you carry around every day.
"You can imagine your cell phone working like a very advanced microscope for looking at various different specimen," said Dr. Aydogan Ozcan, of UCLA.
Researchers at UCLA created various attachments that fit on smart phones. One can perform an HIV screening. Another detects allergens in food. A special tube measures allergens optically with the phone's camera.
"You can do this for peanuts or you can do this for other kinds of allergens," Dr. Ozcan said.
Other attachments measure the presence of e-coli in food, blood cell counts and blood sugar levels. Cell phones are less expensive than a large lab and can be used in the field with immediate results.
"This platform is a very reliable means for looking at micro and nano scale things," Dr. Ozcan said.
It's not on the market yet, but once this technology is widely available, researchers believe it will be particularly beneficial to doctors and patients in developing countries who don't have access to advanced laboratories.
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