Smartphone System Tests Blood Coagulation

Mar-21-14 A new system that uses a smartphone for blood coagulation testing could help reduce the number of hospital trips for patients prone to bleeding, such as hemophiliacs or people on anticoagulants.

Patients with poor blood clotting conditions are often required to visit a hospital or clinic for blood tests, which can be costly and time consuming. As an alternative, the startup Qloudlab has developed a system that uses the capabilities of touchscreen smartphone screens to test blood coagulation.

The system features a microfluidic plastic sticker that is attached to the touchscreen of the phone. A sample of blood is fed to the sticker, as well as a chemical that initiates blood clotting. The blood then flows through the microchannels of the sticker, enabling the capacitive technology of the touchscreen to detect how much blood is moving through the channels. An app that accompanies the system then interprets the changing electrical signals caused by the flowing blood to provide a blood coagulation reading.

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[MEDGADGET.COM]
[QLOUDLAB]

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