Smartphone can be used as a diagnostic tool with a 3D printed attachment
A Scottish-Spanish innovation could soon help transform the smartphone into a diagnostic tool to turn for infestations. The decisive factor here is a tool that can be easily manufactured on a 3D printer.
This idea came from a team of researchers from the Universities of Granada (Spain) and Glasgow (Scotland). The aim is to identify a special type of parasite with the help of that tool. at Trypanosomatida is a group of unicellular flagellates, which can cause a number of diseases in humans as well as in animals. With the help of the rear camera, the app developed by the researchers can now carry out an automatic and precise analysis of the respective parasite species.
Pairing the smartphone with lighting
To carry out the diagnosis, the smartphone requires a special accessory. This couples the smartphone with a light. Because this accessory can be produced inexpensively using 3D printing, it can be hoped that this tool can also be used in poorer parts of the world.
New medical possibilities thanks to smartphones
In this context, the research team emphasizes the new possibilities offered by smartphones in medicine. After all, their hardware is cheap compared to medical devices, but at the same time very powerful. In combination with additional tools, such as the one presented here, these make modern medicine accessible to a large part of the world’s population. 3D printing can make a valuable contribution to making these tools even more cost-effective.
