If you're the person who's waited in line for hours to get a COVID test, or the person who's tried to buy them at your local drugstore, then you're in luck. A group of scientists from the University of California, Santa Barbara say they have developed a new kind of COVID-testing system that only involves some basic lab equipment and an app on your phone.
The new system, which was described in a new paper, won't add hundreds of dollars to your medical bill. The entire system can be set up for less than $100, and you need a phone to use it.
Bacticount uses a person's cellphone camera to detect the presence of pathogens in a person's saliva. A person loads their saliva into a test kit sitting atop a hot plate, and drops in a specific reactive solution designed to amplify viral RNA that might be in that spit. The samples were covered with a cardboard box with an light stuck to the top.
If the saliva samples test positive for COVID-19, the camera on the phone will be able to see the color reaction in the saliva. When a pathogen is present, probes present in the solution bind to it, and fluoresce with a bright red light. The faster the app can register it, the quicker the spit-mixture fluoresces. A person's viral load is estimated based on how quickly that bright light began shining.
The researchers say that each test should cost $7 a pop. The app is only compatible with the S9 model of the phone, but more phones could be possible in the future.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
