Low-cost phone-based device fights anaemia

A $20 device called HemoGlobe could offer a “prick-free” system for detecting and reporting anaemia, a disease responsible for the death of 1 lakh mothers and 6 lakh babies annually
 

An illustration of the anaemia detecting device, HemoGlobe, that uses a cellphone and will cost less than Rs 1,200 to mass produce Could a low-cost screening device connected to a cell phone save thousands of women and children from anaemiarelated deaths and disabilities? That's the goal of Johns Hopkins engineering undergraduates who've developed a noninvasive way to identify women with this dangerous blood disorder. The device, HemoGlobe, is designed to convert the existing cell phones into a “prick-free” system for detecting and reporting anaemia at the community level. The device's sensor, placed on a patient's fingertip, shines different wavelengths of light through the skin to measure the hemoglobin level in the blood. On a phone's screen, a community health worker quickly sees a colour-coded test result, indicating cases of anaemia, from mild to moderate and severe. If anaemia is detected, a patient would be encouraged to follow a course of treatment, ranging from taking iron supplements to visiting a hospital for lifesaving measures. After each test, the phone would send an automated text message with a summary of the results to a central server, which would produce a real-time map showing where anaemia is prevalent. This data could facilitate follow-up care and help health officials to allocate resources where the need is most urgent. Soumyadipta Acharya, the project's principal investigator, said the device could be important in reducing anemia-related deaths. International health experts estimate that anemia contributes to 1,00,000 maternal deaths and 6,00,000 newborn deaths annually. Anaemia occurs when a person has too few healthy red blood cells, which carry critical oxygen throughout the body. This is often due to a lack of iron, and therefore a lack of hemoglobin, the iron-based protein that helps red blood cells store and release oxygen. Anaemic mothers face many complications before and during birth, including death from blood loss associated with the delivery. In addition, a baby that survives a birth from an anaemic mother may face serious health problems. Health officials in developing countries have tried to respond by making iron supplements widely available. According to Acharya, however, the problem of anaemia remains intractable. “This device has the potential to be a gamechanger,” Acharya said. “It will equip millions of health care workers across the globe to quickly and safely detect and report this debilitating condition in pregnant women and newborns.” The HemoGlobe student inventors have estimated their phone-based systems could be produced for $10 to $20 each.

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IS THERE A SIMILAR METHOD FOR BLOOD SUGAR?