A Doctor in Your Pocket

Posted on Nov 12, 2010

Courtesy of Apple

In an effort to curb the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, British doctors and computer engineers are developing small electronic devices that act as tiny STD testing kits, pluggable into a smart phone or computer that then allows users to learn in minutes which, if any, STDs they have. —JCL

The Guardian:

Mobile phones and computers will soon be able to diagnose sexually transmitted diseases under innovative plans to cut the UK’s rising rate of herpes, chlamydia and gonorrhoea among young people.

Doctors and technology experts are developing small devices, similar to pregnancy testing kits, that will tell someone quickly and privately if they have caught an infection through sexual contact.

People who suspect they have been infected will be able to put urine or saliva on to a computer chip about the size of a USB chip, plug it into their phone or computer and receive a diagnosis within minutes, telling them which, if any, sexually transmitted infection (STI) they have. Seven funders, including the Medical Research Council, have put £4m into developing the technology via a forum called the UK Clinical Research Collaboration.

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