The prototype of the device Researchers have developed an add-on
to a mobile phone that can take detailed images and analyse them
to diagnose diseases such as tuberculosis. The CellScope works
as a so-called fluorescence microscope that can identify the
markers of disease. It is hoped the device will be useful in the
developing world, where such medical diagnostics are rare but
mobile ownership and coverage are common. The research is
published in the free-access journal PLoS ONE. The CellScope is
made up of conventional microscope optics as well as some
equipment to make it function as a fluorescence microscope.
Fluorescence occurs when certain molecules are illuminated with
a certain colour and "shine" for a period in a different colour.
Fluorescent "tagging" molecules can be specially designed to
latch on to, for instance, the bacteria that are a sign of
tuberculosis (TB). The device can work also as a conventional
microscope But diagnosing tuberculosis requires a fluorescence
microscope, which can illumin