Anti-Tank Technology Could Fight Malaria

Jul-23-14 The same military hardware developed for use in anti-tank missile detectors could soon be used to fight a smaller, more deadly foe—the malaria parasite.

The Javelin anti-tank heat-seeking missile system is equipped with two powerful devicess: a Focal Plane Array and a heat seeking Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy detector developed specifically to target tanks. When this system is used along with a synchrotron light source and an infrared microscope, researchers were able to identify malaria in a single blood cell, even during the early development stages.

The test, which identifies the parasite by its fatty acids, delivers results within four minutes and allows clinicians to determine how many parasites are in the blood sample—an important detail in fighting the disease.

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[MEDGADGET.COM]
[MONASH.EDU.AU]

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