MOBILE APP TO TEST FOR AFLATOXIN

The app was developed by Mobile Assay, which specializes in mobile lab innovations. The test, more formally known as an immunoassay test, involves analysing a colour-changing test strip for the presence of a particular substance, in this case Aflatoxin. The test strip is photographed using the smartphone’s camera and the app calculates the pixel density of the coloured strip to determine how much Aflatoxin is present within a certain threshold. Current available lab tests are priced at $15 each plus the cost of transporting samples from rural areas to those equipped with testing facilities. This is out of reach for many in the Global South. Some turn to cheaper tests, which return only a positive or negative result and don’t provide any information about whether or not the level of contamination poses a health threat or is fit for consumption. This test is set to cost about $2-3 and provides such detailed information. What’s more, it is immediately uploaded to an online database tracking Aflatoxin outbreaks.

feb, 2017

source=http://innovatedevelopment.org/2014/03/12/mobile-rapid-diagnostic-testing-helping-farmers-protect-crops-people-in-east-africa