New app detects dengue, chikungunya in 30 minutes

The  team at Sandia National Labs, part of the US Department of Energy has developed a device based on the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) diagnostic method which does not require biological sample such as blood or urine, before testing. Aashish Priye, chemical engineer said that the app has a simple interface to operate the device. Smartphone camera sensors replace  traditional laboratory sample analysis tools, thus making it very mobile. There is no need for extra sample preparation before testing. Sandia chemical engineer and project lead Robert Meagher said that the chemistry they were using can amplify viral RNA directly from raw, unprocessed samples. The method is so simple that the user has only to place the smartphone on top of the LAMP box and open an app. The app turns on the heater to initiate the LAMP reaction. The researchers said that the app offers much greater detection certainty than the lab technician's naked eye. It helps to diagnose the disease within 30 minutes which enables doctors to make faster decisions about patient care and isolation, and rapidly alert public health authorities so they can take measures to prevent spread of the virus. This revolutionary app will help doctors to test quickly for all three diseases- dengue, chikungunya and zika at the same time, preventing misdiagnoses.