Telemicroscopy for Disease Diagnosis
“The Challenge”
Microscopy is a vital and ubiquitous healthcare tool in modern hospitals and clinics for initial disease screening as well as for in-depth analysis of patient samples. However, many developing countries lack access to clinical-quality microscopes necessary for even the most basic evaluations. This scarcity of equipment is exacerbated by the lack of qualified medical personnel, especially in rural areas, to provide diagnoses and treatment based on the microscopy data.
(Above: The Telemicroscopy team tests their innovation that will allow local health care workers in rural areas to take images of blood samples with a cell-phone microscope and send them directly to a doctor or lab in a city. Credit: Peg Skorpinski, 2006)
“The Opportunity”
This initiative extends the reach of modern microscopy by turning the camera of a standard cell phone into a clinical-quality microscope. With a magnification of 5-50X, cell-phone microscopy will enable visualization of patient samples critical for disease diagnosis. Images captured by health workers on a microscope-equipped cell phone could be annotated, organized, and transmitted to medical experts at major medical centers for analysis and recommendation. Preliminary work has demonstrated the technical feasibility of this ‘telemicroscopy’ concept. (Above: The CellScope illumination system: A ring of low-cost, low-power, and high-brightness white LEDs. The LEDs are powered by a battery attached to the device, and are angled to fully illuminate a sample at the focal point of the device. Credit: David Breslauer, Wilbur Lam, and Tom Hunt)
“The Response”
The goal of this project is to bring modern diagnostic testing to remote regions cheaply and efficiently with telemicroscopy. The ability to capture images of, for example, malarial blood samples, infected skin, or ulcerous lesions, and then to send those images for remote diagnosis could drastically reduce both the cost and time of performing critical disease diagnosis – as well as provide early warning of outbreaks – in poverty stricken regions of the globe. In many developing countries with the greatest health needs, the infrastructure for cellular phones is expanding rapidly, opening the door for greater use of cell-phone-based healthcare devices. The project is actively developing a second-generation device for field testing in 2008.
(Left: CellScope in action: Examining a microscope slide; Right: Sickle cell anemia blood sample. Image taken on the high magnification CellScope at ~50X. Credit: David Breslauer, Wilbur Lam, and Tom Hunt)
Participating Faculty
Daniel A. Fletcher, Associate Professor, Bioengineering (Principal Investigator)
Ravi Nemana, CITRIS
Names of Participating Students
David Breslauer, PhD Student, Bioengineering
Mike Rosenbluth, PhD Student, Bioengineering
Wendy Hansen, PhD Student, Biophysics
Dr. Wilbur Lam, Postdoctoral Fellow, Bioengineering
Dr. Tom Hunt, Postdoctoral Fellow, Bioengineering
Partnering Organizations
CITRIS
Microsoft Research
Geographical focus
Africa, Asia