Pack93z
  • Pack93z
  • Select Member Topic Starter
14 years ago
Now if true.. this is the type of innovation we need in the medical field to help shrink cost... but by the time it hits the market.. I am sure the cost with be over inflated like the rest of medical sector.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/02/25/whitesides.chip/index.html?hpt=C1 

CNN) -- A chemistry professor at Harvard University is trying to shrink a medical laboratory onto a piece of paper that's the size of a fingerprint and costs about a penny.

George Whitesides has developed a prototype for paper "chip" technology that could be used in the developing world to cheaply diagnose deadly diseases such as HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, hepatitis and gastroenteritis.

The first products will be available in about a year, he said.

His efforts, which find their inspiration from the simple designs of comic books and computer chips, are surprisingly low-tech and cheap.

Patients put a drop of blood on one side of the slip of paper, and on the other appears a colorful pattern in the shape of a tree, which tells medical professionals whether the person is infected with certain diseases.

Water-repellent comic-book ink saturates several layers of paper, he said. The ink funnels a patient's blood into tree-like channels, where several layers of treated paper react with the blood to create diagnostic colors.

It's not entirely unlike a home pregnancy test, Whitesides said, but the chips are much smaller and cheaper, and they test for multiple diseases at once. They also show how severely a person is infected rather than producing only a positive-negative reading.

UserPostedImage

This pattern could tell medical professionals whether a person is infected with certain diseases.

The paper chips are expected to be used in concert with mobile phones, which are exploding in popularity in the developing world.

Since people in remote parts of Africa and Asia often have to travel great distances by public transit or foot to reach a medical clinic, patients simply can take photos of the chips with cell phones and then send them to larger cities for diagnosis. And Whitesides said his group is also working with a cell phone maker to develop apps that would tell patients the results of their tests automatically if doctors aren't available.

"Doctors are as scarce a resource as money is," he said.

The tests may also be useful for highly contagious diseases such as hepatitis C, which require sick people to be quarantined to prevent further infection.

Watch Whitesides talk at the TED Conference

Whitesides' work, if successful, will bolster the argument that solutions to complicated problems often are found in simple, low-cost technologies.

From consumer electronics to medical equipment, a growing number of people seem to be searching for technologies that are cheap, reliable and even somewhat retro. Computer operating systems are being stripped of new features in favor of a simplified experience; basic devices such as the Flip cam seem more chic and popular than high-end video equipment.

The spiking costs of health care in the U.S. put pressure on doctors to perform expensive tests with high-end equipment only when necessary. And in the developing world, the medical community has realized there's not always electricity to power and doctors to manage high-tech medical clinics with rooms full of electronics and labs.

Cheap and reliable health care technologies are what the developing world and the Western world need, said Dr. Gaby Vercauteren, coordinator of diagnostics and laboratory technologies at the World Health Organization.

"Obviously smaller, easy to use, inexpensive technologies will find their way throughout the whole system and will provide better access to care to all those who need it," she said.

She said many medical diagnostic tests are too expensive for people in poorer areas of the world to afford. But they are the essential first step to health care.

"Today, many people don't get the necessary diagnosis that will lead to access to the right treatment because diagnostic tests and lab tests are, most of the time, out of pocket," she said. "People don't have the money to buy that. Therefore, often, diseases are not diagnosed or only diagnosed far too late."

Keith Herold, an associate professor of bioengineering at the University of Maryland, said Whitesides' ideas build on a branch of science that's trying to develop "lab-on-chip" technologies, which use credit-card size devices to perform laboratory analyses.

Whitesides' paper chips are much simpler than other lab-on-chip projects, many of which require intricate production methods and heavier materials such as glass and plastic. But simpler might be better in this case, he said.

"I think it's real. It can be very useful, but it's not the fanciest manifestation of lab on a chip by any means," he said. "If it works and it's cheap, it's good for everybody."

Still, Whitesides' paper tests could run into some pitfalls.

Vercauteren, of the WHO, said the paper may mold in humid, hot climates. And it's still important for people to get access to doctors so they know what to do about their diagnoses, she said.

She said its possible to conquer those challenges.

The first test, Whitesides said, will be designed to detect liver function, which is important for people with HIV and who are on some strong medications.


"The oranges are dry; the apples are mealy; and the papayas... I don't know what's going on with the papayas!"
Formo
14 years ago
Interesting.. Who ever said that comics were a waste? 🙂
UserPostedImage
Thanks to TheViking88 for the sig!!
Fan Shout
packerfanoutwest (11h) : Jaire Alexander says he has a torn PCL
Zero2Cool (20-Nov) : Even with the context it's ... what?
Mucky Tundra (20-Nov) : Matt LaFleur without context: “I don’t wanna pat you on the butt and you poop in my hand.”
beast (20-Nov) : We brought in a former Packers OL coach to help evaluate OL as a scout
beast (20-Nov) : Jets have been pretty good at picking DL
Zero2Cool (20-Nov) : He landed good players thanks to high draft slot. He isn't good.
Zero2Cool (20-Nov) : He can shove his knowledge up his ass. He knows nothing.
beast (20-Nov) : More knowledge, just like bring in the Jets head coach
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : What? Why? Huh?
beast (19-Nov) : I wonder if the Packers might to try to bring Douglas in through Milt Hendrickson/Ravens connections
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : The Jets fired Joe Douglas, per sources
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : Jets are a mess......
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : Pretty sure Jets fired their scouting staff and just pluck former Packers.
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : Jets sign Anders Carlson to their 53.
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : When you cycle the weeks, the total over remains for season. But you get your W/L for that selected week. Confusing.
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : the total and percentage are the same as the previous weeks
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : the total and percentage are the same as the previous weeks
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : the totals are accurate..nrvrtmind
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : I don't follow what you are saying. The totals are not the same as last week.
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : ok so then wht are the totals the same as last week?
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : NFL Pick'em is auto updated when NFL Scores tab is clicked
Martha Careful (19-Nov) : The offense was OK. Let's not forget the Bear defense is very very good.
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : Who updates the leaderboard on NFLPickem?
beast (19-Nov) : Has the Packers offense been worse since the former Jets coach joined the Packers?
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : Offense gets his ass in gear, this could be good.
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : Backup QB helped with three wins. Special Teams contributed to three wins.
bboystyle (18-Nov) : Lions played outside thats why. They scored 16 and 17 in the only 2 outside games this year
Zero2Cool (18-Nov) : The rest of the NFL is catching up to Packers ... kicking is an issue throughout league
packerfanoutwest (18-Nov) : Packers DL Kenny Clark: We knew 'we were going to block' Bears' game-winning field goal attempt
Zero2Cool (18-Nov) : Lions seem to be throttling everyone, but only (only) got 24 lol maybe the rain is why
Zero2Cool (18-Nov) : Packers vs Lions game doesn't seem so bad.
beast (18-Nov) : Dennis Green "They are what we thought they were, and we let them off the hook!"
Martha Careful (17-Nov) : comment of the day Z2Cool "Bears better than we want to admit. Packers worse than we think. It's facts."
Mucky Tundra (17-Nov) : my worst case scenario: Bears fix their oline and get a coach like Johnson from the Lions and his scheme
Zero2Cool (17-Nov) : Bears get OL fixed amd we might have a problem
buckeyepackfan (17-Nov) : Pretty sure they already have scouting reports on guys who aren't even starting for their college team. The future is now for me.
buckeyepackfan (17-Nov) : I tend to let Gute and Co. Worry about the future.
beast (17-Nov) : That's great news and Packers need to keep upgrading their OL, DL and DBs this off-season, so missing one guy doesn't kill them
beast (17-Nov) : That's great news and Packers need to keep upgrading their OL, DL and DBs this off-season, so missing one guy doesn't kill them
buckeyepackfan (17-Nov) : Jaire and Evans Williams are both ACTIVE! Good news.
Martha Careful (17-Nov) : The badgers really need to change the whole offensive scheme. No draws no screens plus the quarterback is marginal
Cheesey (17-Nov) : If the Badgers had a decent QB, they would have won. The guy can't hit a wide open receiver
Martha Careful (17-Nov) : chop block
Martha Careful (17-Nov) : there was a very questionable job Block call that upon viewing replay was very borderline
beast (17-Nov) : How so? (I didn't watch)
Zero2Cool (17-Nov) : Badgers got hosed vs Oregon
packerfanoutwest (16-Nov) : damn,he hasn't played since week 2
Mucky Tundra (15-Nov) : poor guy can't catch a break
wpr (15-Nov) : wow. That three different things for the kid.
Zero2Cool (15-Nov) : MarShawn Lloyd has appendicitis according to Matt LaFleur.
Please sign in to use Fan Shout
2024 Packers Schedule
Friday, Sep 6 @ 7:15 PM
Eagles
Sunday, Sep 15 @ 12:00 PM
COLTS
Sunday, Sep 22 @ 12:00 PM
Titans
Sunday, Sep 29 @ 12:00 PM
VIKINGS
Sunday, Oct 6 @ 3:25 PM
Rams
Sunday, Oct 13 @ 12:00 PM
CARDINALS
Sunday, Oct 20 @ 12:00 PM
TEXANS
Sunday, Oct 27 @ 12:00 PM
Jaguars
Sunday, Nov 3 @ 3:25 PM
LIONS
Sunday, Nov 17 @ 12:00 PM
Bears
Sunday, Nov 24 @ 3:25 PM
49ERS
Thursday, Nov 28 @ 7:20 PM
DOLPHINS
Thursday, Dec 5 @ 7:15 PM
Lions
Sunday, Dec 15 @ 7:20 PM
Seahawks
Monday, Dec 23 @ 7:15 PM
SAINTS
Sunday, Dec 29 @ 12:00 PM
Vikings
Saturday, Jan 4 @ 11:00 PM
BEARS
Recent Topics
14h / Green Bay Packers Talk / Martha Careful

16h / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

20h / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

21h / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

21-Nov / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

20-Nov / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

20-Nov / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

20-Nov / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

20-Nov / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

20-Nov / Green Bay Packers Talk / wpr

19-Nov / Green Bay Packers Talk / dfosterf

19-Nov / Featured Content / Zero2Cool

19-Nov / Green Bay Packers Talk / Martha Careful

19-Nov / Green Bay Packers Talk / wpr

19-Nov / Green Bay Packers Talk / wpr

Copyright © 2006 - 2024 PackersHome.com™. All Rights Reserved.