Smartphones have the potential to hugely increase access to pathogen detection — a critical step in diagnosing and preventing the spread of infectious diseases.
With their increasingly advanced biosensors, elevated processing power, and high-speed connectivity, smartphones are becoming commercially relevant tools across several applications.
Companies are developing smartphone-based tools for security, P&C insurance, vehicle automation, population health, and even medical devices.
One application that’s recently come into the spotlight is pathogen detection: detecting viral, bacterial, or other infection-causing agents. Pathogen detection can be used to better diagnose and prevent the spread of infectious diseases such as norovirus and malaria.
Scientific research on the subject has risen over the last 10 years, with a broadening array of researchers designing and testing prototypes. While it’s still in early stages, we’re beginning to see signs that the tech is being translated commercially through technology transfers, university spin-outs, and industry partnership activity.
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