An Ingenious Microscope Could Change How Quickly Disease Is Detected
By analyzing blood samples 120 times faster than a traditional microscope, Octopi can lighten the load of overworked lab technicians.
by Ed Yong
Aug 22, 2019
4 minutes
In the rural parts of Uganda, lab technicians spend hours each day on thankless and seemingly unceasing work. The most common tests they run are for malaria. A technician smears a blood sample on a slide, treats it with dye, and then slowly scans it for cells that contain malaria parasites. She then uses a handheld clicker to record how many parasites she sees.
A typical test might take from 30 minutes to an hour. A health center might see dozens of patients in a day. When visited on a recent trip, “There were places where the technicians couldn’t stop to talk to
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