A decentralized approach to diagnostics can decrease the time to treatment of infectious diseases in resource-limited settings. Yet most modern diagnostic tools require stable electricity and are not portable. Here, we describe a portable device for isothermal nucleic-acid quantification that can operate with power from electricity, sunlight or a flame, and that can store heat from intermittent energy sources, for operation when electrical power is not available or reliable. We deployed the device in two Ugandan health clinics, where it successfully operated through multiple power outages, with equivalent performance when powered via sunlight or electricity. A direct comparison between the portable device and commercial qPCR (quantitative polymerase chain reaction) machines for samples from 71 Ugandan patients (29 of which were tested in Uganda) for the presence of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus DNA showed 94% agreement, with the four discordant samples having the lowest concentration of the herpesvirus DNA. The device's flexibility in power supply provides a needed solution for on-field diagnostics.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41551-018-0286-y | DOI Listing |
Medicine (Baltimore)
January 2025
Department of Clinical Laboratory, Zhejiang Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
To evaluate the accuracy of home self-monitoring portable blood glucose meters, we analyzed the current problems of patients using portable blood glucose meters and put forward reasonable suggestions. A self-designed questionnaire was used to survey 142 patients and 132 healthcare professionals. The questionnaire consisted of 16 items with an overall score ranging from 1 to 13 (with a higher score indicating better experience).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnal Chem
January 2025
Key Laboratory of OptoElectronic Science and Technology for Medicine of Ministry of Education, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Photonics Technology, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350117, China.
Multiple myeloma is a hematologic malignancy characterized by the proliferation of abnormal plasma cells in the bone marrow. Despite therapeutic advancements, there remains a critical need for reliable, noninvasive methods to monitor multiple myeloma. Circulating plasma cells (CPCs) in peripheral blood are robust and independent prognostic markers, but their detection is challenging due to their low abundance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
January 2025
Division of Ophthalmology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
Purpose: The purpose of this systematic review was to consolidate and summarize available data comparing virtual reality perimetry (VRP) with standard automated perimetry (SAP) in adults with glaucoma. Understanding the utility and diagnostic performance of emerging VRP technology may expand access to visual field testing but requires evidence-based validation.
Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in 3 databases (PubMed Central, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) from the date of inception to 10/09/2024.
PLOS Glob Public Health
January 2025
Médecins Sans Frontières, International, Geneva, Switzerland.
Ultraportable (UP) X-ray devices are ideal to use in community-based settings, particularly for chest X-ray (CXR) screening of tuberculosis (TB). Unfortunately, there is insufficient guidance on the radiation safety of these devices. This study aims to determine the radiation dose by UP X-ray devices to both the public and radiographers compared to international dose limits.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVet Sci
January 2025
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre 91540-000, Brazil.
Pregnant ewes are susceptible to hypoglycemia and ketosis; therefore, monitoring glycemic status is extremely important. Portable blood glucose meters (PBGMs) can assist in quickly and conveniently identifying glycemic disturbances in this species, provided that they meet the criteria of analytical accuracy. This study evaluated the performance of a human PBGM (Accu-Chek Performa, Roche Diagnostics, Basel, Switzerland) in the glycemic evaluation of 34 pregnant ewes at days 90 and 120 of pregnancy in comparison with the results of glycemia determination by a reference method (RM).
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