An entrepreneur is seeking crowd-funding to raise $75,000 to support the completion of a 'lab-on-a chip' diagnostic tool.
The device, small enough to fit in the palm of a hand, is designed using reliable scientific knowledge coupled with breakthrough technology. It enables users to diagnose diseases within minutes without electricity and costly upkeep, making it ideal for use in developing countries around the world and by independent research labs whose funds are oftentimes limited.
'Imagine a world in which developing countries can have access to technologies in order to diagnose and prevent the spread of diseases,' said Thomas Warinner, of Grenelabs, creator of the device. 'The importance of these chips is not to just open up research, but to identify illnesses in people who could otherwise not be diagnosed.'
The lab-on-a chip manipulates liquids in capillary tubes within the chip based on the science of microfluidics. For example, a drop of blood is sent past biomarkers that change when positive. Although disposable, the lab-on-a-chip is designed to be accurate over multiple uses.
Grenelabs developed the ability to perform diagnostic testing in any setting, making it useful in disaster situations, remote areas, and developing countries.
