This Week in Sickle Cell News OCtober 19th to the 25th

By Sean Marshall
This week it is officially easier to test for sickle cell anemia then ever before. According to clapway.com as well as medicalpress.com has reported that a new app along with a 3D printer could “hat can accurately diagnose and monitor sickle cell disease in the field or at a remote clinic, using just a few drops of blood.”
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The team behind the groundbreaking research is led by UConn assistant professor of mechanical engineering Savas Tasoglu his hopes are that anyone who cannot reach a hospital in a developing worlds, often where sickle cell anemia does the most damage, could test their blood and adding only a few drops to a device attached to their phone.

The device or platform “contained in a lightweight, compact box that can be attached to a common Android smartphones.” Then the phone would run the app send it to the nearest 3D printer for the most accurate results including a mapping of the bloodstream and where potential treats that could occur.
Meanwhile the app should analysis the results of the test and explain the best course of action to be taken by the patient.

The only catch is that the blood “needs to mixed into a solution of gadolinium and sodium salts. This solution is then squirted through a small disposable transparent capillary tube that is clipped into the smartphone attachment between its two magnets. The tube is illuminated by the smartphone attachment’s LED light which is mounted opposite the phone’s camera.”

So the only real concern would be the refilling o the solution and the cost of the app and device to attach to a persons phone. Ultimately though the price should hopefully outweigh the cost of life or at the very least outweigh the potential trip to a medical facility which for some is either a non option or a lengthy trip that could cost them many days.

On a lighter note tough they app will revolutionize the lives of people in developing nations allowing them to much more easily regulate themselves and their loved ones.
The two articles can be found below:
http://clapway.com/2015/10/23/smartphone-test-for-sickle-cell-anemia123/
​http://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-10-easy-sickle-cell-disease.html

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