The researchers screened cultures of tuberculosis-infected cells with the device and detected the rod-shaped structures of the bacteria within the samples by using Auramine O dye, which stains the tuberculosis bacteria. The dye absorbs the blue light and then emits green fluorescence.

Breslauer and the group have high hopes for this technology, especially given the well-built infrastructure for wireless devices in many developing countries. Images could be analyzed in the field or transmitted to clinics for quick diagnosis when there is a shortage of doctors. Sigano agrees with the assessment: "I can definitely imagine this technology being useful in Third World countries," she says.

If the group is to turn the technology into a product, Breslauer remarks, it will need to overcome a few roadblocks—not the least of which is money. "Marketing a product to developing countries is challenging and essentially like nonprofit work," he says. "We need to find profitable applications if we are to get a company interested in advancing the technology."

One profitable application, Breslauer hopes, is using the cell phone to digitally index a person's medical history. People who require routine blood counts could take microscopic images of blood samples from home and e-mail them to the doctor or store them for later analysis.  The group plans to begin field trials with the device in the fall.

4 Comments

1. 1. jsaaymi 07:02 PM 7/22/09

   This is gr8...

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

2. 2. Daniel35 11:00 PM 7/28/09

   Many years ago I got an idea from a magazine and made a "microscope" from the lens of a penlight bulb (maybe a thing of the past}. My version attached to an alligator clip which would clip onto a slide. A concentrated light source helps with resolution. I think it gave about 50 power magnification. I could see individual blood cells and could probably have spotted sickle cells. The lenses probably vary in quality.

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

3. 3. hersu 11:30 PM 6/13/10

   Reccently i got responsibility in analize blood on malaria (plasmodium infection) and I interested to attached a web cam or similar camera on binocular microscope with 1000x magnification and connected it with my PC/Laptop so it will reduce work load of Analist.
   My question,
   1. how i attached it?
   2. should i had to remove occuler lense.?
   Thank for your help...
   regards
   
   Hersu

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

4. 4. jadesmith 06:45 AM 12/2/10

   This is really great. Really you cannot imagine where the technology and minds will lighten up. Anyway I have an Nokia N73 and I use its camera as webcam. You just have to download the software and then you need to install the client application on the phone and the webcam server application on the PC. Then you can connect your mobile to PC by either USB cable or via Bluetooth and launch the application.
   http://www.nokiaphonereview.net/nokia-n73.html

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this