Engineers at Cornell University have developed asmartphone accessory that can detect biomarkers in a drop of blood, sweat or saliva. The Smartphone Cholesterol Application for Rapid Diagnostics, or "smartCARD,” uses the phone’s camera to read cholesterol level. The accessory optically detects biomarkers in a drop of blood, sweat or saliva and then discerns the results using colour analysis.
A user puts a drop of blood on the cholesterol test strip and the results are analysed by the smartphone application. The smartCARD accessory clamps over the phone's camera and the built-in flash provides uniform, diffused light to illuminate the test strip. The application in the phone calibrates the h the image's colour values on the cholesterol test strip and the results appear on the phone.
"Smartphones have the potential to address health issues by eliminating the need for specialised equipment," said David Erickson, Cornell associate professor of mechanical engineering and senior author on a new peer-reviewed study.
Currently, the test measures total cholesterol. The team are also working on detecting vitamin D levels, and has previously demonstrated smartphone tests for periodontitis and sweat electrolyte levels.
"By 2016, there will be an estimated 260 million smartphones in use in the United States. Smartphones are ubiquitous," said Erickson. Although smartCARD is ready to be brought to market immediately, he is optimistic that it will have even more advanced capabilities in less than a year. "Mobil health is increasing at an incredible rate," he concluded.
