Jodhpur (Rajasthan): Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jodhpur have demonstrated a new technology that allows patients' glucose levels to be checked using smartphones.
The gadget, according to the researchers, can also deliver test results that are rapid and simple to retrieve. In order to test this new technology, scientists used an app to connect an Android smartphone to a paper-based analytical instrument, allowing them to detect the sample for glucose (with a concentration range of 10−40 mM).
The apparatus consists of a specific type of biodegradable paper that changes colour in accordance with the amount of glucose detected. This process makes glucose testing accessible to a larger population by providing a straightforward yet efficient method.
Unlike earlier paper-based analytical tools that required particular lighting circumstances, this invention makes use of machine learning techniques to guarantee compatibility with different smartphone models and lighting situations.
Its versatility makes it more useful in a variety of contexts and does away with the requirement for carefully regulated lab environments.
OPERATIONAL PROCESS: Paper-based analytical devices (PADs) are compact, fast biochemical sample analysers. The device includes a biodegradable paper that has been functionalised in a lab and changes color according to the concentration and level of glucose.
The researchers have further accelerated and personalised the glucose level tracking procedure by linking it to a smartphone.
"This study demonstrates that this developed system is equipped for initial disease screening at the user end. By incorporating machine learning techniques, the platform can provide reliable and accurate results, thus paving the way for estimating the accuracy of the results for improved initial healthcare screening and diagnosis of any disease," Ankur Gupta, Associate Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Jodhpur said.
The public is intended to utilise this equipment for personal usage. Results from on-the-spot glucose testing can be obtained without the need for complex or technological laboratory facilities.
One of the biggest challenges with PADs is that their operation requires particular lighting conditions. However, the press release also stated that the researchers' approach totally eliminates that drawback and enables the PAD to function and transfer data to smartphones in almost any type of lighting.
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