Researchers at the University of Washington are working on developing an improved portable test for malaria, printed on a disposable Mylar card. This technology uses an "astronaut food approach," where the dried reagents can be stored easily and for long periods of time. Normally these reagents need to be refrigerated, but researchers have found ways to stabilize them by using sugar. The goal is to create a card into which one can deposit a drop of the patient's blood, and put it into a machine which can identify the presence of 20 different diseases. Developing countries will benefit greatly from this new technology because a quick, reliable diagnosis is important in receiving good medical care.
Source: 7th Space
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