UCLA researchers have developed an ingenious portable device capable of conducting a common kidney test quickly and accurately at home or anywhere. The testing package, which includes disposable fluorescent test tubes, a smartphone app, software and an optical attachment, weighs less than a third of a pound and could cost around $50 to $100. The device can help assess kidney damage by measuring levels of albumin in the urine in about five minutes. Beams of light projected through a control test tube and a tube containing a mixture of urine and fluorescent dyes are captured by a smartphone camera. The resulting data, processed by an app, can be sent on to a database, physician, hospital, etc. The device would be ideal for monitoring a variety of patients requiring frequent lab work, including those with early CKD, diabetics or others at risk of CKD.
Source:
UCLA Researchers Invent Portable Device for Common Kidney Tests, ScienceDaily, August 23, 2013