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Scientists Have Developed a Type of HIV Test On a USB Stick
Scientists have developed a type of HIV test on a USB stick [phys.org].
The device, created by scientists at Imperial College London and DNA Electronics, uses a drop of blood to detect HIV, and then creates an electrical signal that can be read by a computer, laptop or handheld device.
The disposable test could be used for HIV patients to monitor their own treatment.
Furthermore, the technology could enable patients with HIV to be managed more effectively in remote locations.
New research, published in the journal Scientific Reports, shows the device is not only very accurate, but can produce a result in under 30 minutes.
The new technology monitors the amount of virus in the bloodstream. This is crucial to monitoring a patient's treatment.
Current tests to detect the amount of virus take at least three days, often longer, and involves sending a blood sample to a laboratory. In many parts of the world, particularly those with the highest number of HIV infections, such testing does not exist at all.
