Health Diagnostics

Much of the developing world has no access to basic screening technology for tuberculosis, a disease that affects a third of the world’s population and was responsible for 1.7 million deaths in 2009. We are going to build a $1000 digital X-ray detector to accurately and rapidly detect tuberculosis in these underserved populations. Follow Karim S. Karim on Twitter @karim_s_karim"

There is a lack of an accurate, rapid, low-cost test for Tuberculosis which is difficult to diagnose. Partnering with industry, they are aiming to develop a simple strip test for extra-pulmonary TB in India, validate and commercialize it, and make it affordable for under $2/test, by combining technological and business-model innovation.

Jonathan Blackburn of the University of Cape Town in South Africa will use tuberculosis as a model disease to develop a low-cost, hand-held biosensor that combines the selectivity of antigen-specific DNA aptamers with the exceptional specificity of Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy in order to reliably quantify pathogen biomarkers present in patient specimens at the point-of-care.

To validate a telediagnostics system to detect TB and MDR to be utilized in laboratories lacking financial and technical resources, in the settings where most TB occurs. We will enable automatic remote diagnosis using Internet and cellphone telephony.

We will empower frontline healthcare workers (ASHAs) to better care for pregnant women in rural areas. Armed with smartphones and rapid tests, ASHAs will screen for HIV, co-infections and anemia, offer updated health info and link women to treatment.

This project aims to introduce new e-Health technologies that provide accurate diagnostics and better patient management at point-of-care. Immediate electronic reporting of cases can be accomplished in low resource settings (rural Tanzania), and health care system and public health outcome efficiencies can be improved.  "

Often, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Ng is unknown as diagnostic costs are too high. Our test will permit a simple, noninvasive diagnosis of gonorrhea and its antibiotic susceptibility allowing unique individualized testing and treatment.

Pneumonia is the world’s leading cause of child mortality, causing 1.4 million deaths per year in children under five. Pneumonia is usually diagnosed based on x-ray images and laboratory/clinical examination, requiring trained medical professionals. In poor-resource settings, however, the most stricken by pneumonia, neither this technology nor the trained health care workers are present.

The Camera Oximeter will be a novel, ultra low-cost pulse oximeter that uses the built-in camera of a mobile phone to measure oxygen saturation, heart rate and respiratory rate. Software will include an advisory system for the diagnosis and treatment of respiratory diseases (pneumonia) in remote areas & community hospitals of low income countries.

Compared with industrialized countries, nations of Africa and Asia report two to 10 times the rate of child pneumonia, the killer of 2.1 million children each year. A bedside finger prick blood test developed by this project will improve pneumonia diagnosis where chest x-rays, essential for pneumonia diagnosis and management, are unavailable, saving lives and resources.