Problem being addressed[edit | edit source]
Women in resource-poor settings, especially in rural areas, suffer from adverse health consequences resulting from late or lack of detection of sexually transmitted infections. Women tend to forgo these diagnostic tests because they are usually conducted in clinics far away and take a long time to produce results. These infections pose a threat to newborns as well.
Detailed description of the solution[edit | edit source]
mChip is a simple, low-cost, accurate, and innovative microfluidics-based diagnostic device that can detect both HIV and syphilis simultaneously within 15 minutes. It requires only a finger-prick volume of blood and uses its integrated GPRS mobile health capability to perform real-time synchronization of data to a central health record through cell-phone networks or orbiting satellites. The device does not depend upon electricity or any external instruments.
Designed by[edit | edit source]
- Designed by: This device was developed by researchers led by Dr. Samuel K. Sia at Columbia University based in New York, NY.
- Manufacturer location: New York, NY, USA
When and where it was tested/implemented[edit | edit source]
This device is being tested in Rwanda.
Funding Source[edit | edit source]
The following sources provided funding for this project:
- Saving Lives at Birth seed grant
- Venture capital funding-Series A financing (researchers founded a company called Claros Diagnostics)
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
- National Institutes of Health
- Wallace Coulter Foundation
References[edit | edit source]
Peer-reviewed publication[edit | edit source]
Chin, C. D., Laksanasopin, T., Cheung, Y. K., Steinmiller, D., Linder, V., Parsa, H.,…Sia, S. K.(2011, July 31). Microfluidics-based diagnostics of infectious diseases in the developing world. Nature Medicine. 17, 1015-1019.
Chin, C. D., Vincent, L., and Sia, S. K. (2012, January 17). Commercialization of microfluidic point-of-care diagnostic devices. Lab on a Chip. 12, 2118-2134.
Webb, S. A. (2010, July 1). Returning to Diagnostic Basics. BioTechniques: The International Journal of Life Science Methods. 49(1). 491-493.
Other internally generated reports[edit | edit source]
Professor Sia develops Innovative Lab-on-a-Chip. (2011, July 31). Columbia Engineering: The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science. Retrieved October 16, 2012. Link available here.
Research. (n.d.). Sia Lab: Molecular and Microscale Bioengineering. Retrieved October 16,2012. Link available here.
Streamlining Blood Testing. (2010, December 21). Columbia Engineering: The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science. Retrieved October 16, 2012. Link available here.
Externally generated reports[edit | edit source]
Angelle, A. (2010, March 23). How it Works: The Lab that Fits in Your Hand. Popular Science: The Future Now. Retrieved October 16, 2012. Link available here.
Global Development: Miniature lab can diagnose disease in the field. (n.d.). The Guardian. Retrieved October 16, 2012. Link available here.
Lab-on-a-chip may be a game-changer in disease detection. (2011, July 31). Times Live. Retrieved October 16, 2012. Link available here.
Novel frontline mobile diagnostics device for antenatal care. (2012, May 16). Saving Lives at Birth: A Grand Challenge for Development. Retrieved October 16, 2012. Link available here.
Singer, E. (2011, August 1). A Quick, Cheap Diagnostic Test for HIV and Other Infections. Africa Health IT News. Retrieved October 16, 2012. Link available here.