New ring diagnoses sexually transmitted diseases
Engineers have developed a ring with the ability to diagnose sexually transmitted diseases like syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia and trichomoniasis.
The portable medical device called Hoope is aring that is placed on the thumb, contains a disposable cartridge with a retractable needle for single use and sends the data to a smartphone in less than a minute.
“Every year more than 500 million people around the world contract one of these four STDs; 50 per cent of them are between 15 and 23 years of age. The problem is that 75 per cent of them do not present early symptoms, therefore the need for an early detection strategy,” said Ernesto Rodríguez Leal, a PhD in mechanical engineering.
Furthermore, Hoope has an anaesthetic system by which an electrical pulse generates numbness, preventing pain at the time of the puncture.
The ring functions as a home diagnostic tool that distributes blood into four microfluidic channels. “We put antigens specifically synthesised to catch antibodies for each of the diseases. Their interaction functions as a lock and key mechanism. If antibodies for any of the conditions exist, the antigens trap them and produce an electrochemical reaction,” Leal said.
The Hoope will be available by January 2016 through an Indiegogo campaign, and sold at a price of $50. MM
The portable medical device called Hoope is aring that is placed on the thumb, contains a disposable cartridge with a retractable needle for single use and sends the data to a smartphone in less than a minute.
“Every year more than 500 million people around the world contract one of these four STDs; 50 per cent of them are between 15 and 23 years of age. The problem is that 75 per cent of them do not present early symptoms, therefore the need for an early detection strategy,” said Ernesto Rodríguez Leal, a PhD in mechanical engineering.
The ring is placed only at the time of the test. A button is pressed, which activates a needle that draws blood, which is transported by capillary action and taken to a lab-on-a-chip, a recent concept based on immobilising reagents to look for changes and make measurements.
Furthermore, Hoope has an anaesthetic system by which an electrical pulse generates numbness, preventing pain at the time of the puncture.
The ring functions as a home diagnostic tool that distributes blood into four microfluidic channels. “We put antigens specifically synthesised to catch antibodies for each of the diseases. Their interaction functions as a lock and key mechanism. If antibodies for any of the conditions exist, the antigens trap them and produce an electrochemical reaction,” Leal said.
The Hoope will be available by January 2016 through an Indiegogo campaign, and sold at a price of $50. MM
