Thanks to the laser detector, it is possible to diagnose malaria in 20 seconds without taking blood from the patient at all, reports Emerging Infectious Diseases.
As noted by the editor of New Scientist, the fictional tricorder from the Star Trek series had similar non-invasive diagnostic capabilities.
The laser pulse acts on a vein in the area of the wrist or ear lobe. Thanks to the appropriately selected wavelength, strong light does not harm human tissues, but it is absorbed by hemozoin crystals – a metabolic product of Plasmodium falciparum malaria.
The energy-absorbing crystals heat the surrounding blood plasma, which leads to the production of gas bubbles. The bursting of these bubbles is detected by a sensor, which makes it possible to identify people infected with malaria.
Dmitri Lapotko’s team at Rice University in Houston, Texas, conducted preliminary trials on six people, correctly identifying malaria patients. It was even possible to detect which of the dead mosquitoes carried the parasite. Problems are only caused by the recognition of the disease in people with dark skin, but according to scientists, it can be remedied by modifying the color of the light used. The team is currently getting ready to conduct research in Africa. According to specialists, such a quick and easy-to-use method may be a breakthrough in the fight against malaria.
Malaria is a serious threat to half the world’s population. In 2013, it killed 584 people. The existing tests make it possible to diagnose the disease quickly enough – in 000-15 minutes, however, blood must be taken from the patient for this, which requires trained personnel. Reagents are also needed – approximately $ 20 million is spent on them each year. A simpler and cheaper method is very much needed.
Ultimately, the battery-powered laser tricoder is to be the size of a shoe box. It will cost about $ 15, but it will be enough to test 000 people. This will cut the cost of a single test from 200 cents to less than 000.