MIT Tech Review reports,

In a small trial in Rwanda, a $34 smartphone attachment rapidly and accurately detected the presence of HIV and syphilis antibodies in drops of blood taken from pregnant women. The work, described in a paper published today in the journal Science Translational Medicine, demonstrates that laboratory-quality diagnostics can be run on a pocket-sized device that works well in field conditions.

The plastic attachment, about the size of the phone itself, uses disposable cartridges costing just pennies. A health-care worker loads a blood sample, which mixes with chemicals called reagents in microscale channels within the cartridge.

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