urinary tract infections (UTIs) could be detected simply and cheaply using a smartphone camera.
They said their system can detect the disease in just 25 minutes and could enable those in the developing world to be easily diagnosed as it is more portable and cheaper than traditional lab tests. The test is carried out by passing a urine sample over a ridged plastic micro-capillary strip, containing an immobilising antibody able to recognise E. coli bacterial cells, which is present in around 80 per cent of bacterial UTIs. If E. coli is present in the sample, antibodies in the reagents will bind with it, stopping it from passing through the section of plastic strip. Finally, an enzyme is added that causes a change in colour that can be picked up by a smartphone camera. The procedure is simple and could be manually operated or fully automated without any need for a mains power supply. Dr Nuno Reis, from the University of Bath’s Department of Chemical Engineering, led the development of the test. “The test is small and portable - so it has major potential for use in prima...
