The Star Trek-style 'Tricorder' that diagnoses disease in under 15 minutes: Handheld device will analyse DNA to test for illnesses such as malaria and TB
- Like Mr Spock's Tricorder, the Q-POC device can diagnose illnesses
- Small device invented by scientists in Newcastle could launch in 2016
- It can analyse DNA in under 15 minutes with the accuracy of a lab
- Could be used to diagnose tropical illnesses, TB, STIs and Malaria
Mr Spock's 'Tricorder' is fast becoming fact rather than science fiction, and as soon as next year a gadget could allow people to diagnose illnesses in a matter of minutes.
A small hand-held device developed by scientists in Newcastle is designed to analyse DNA in less than 15 minutes with the accuracy of a state-of-the-art laboratory.
The aim is to launch the Q-POC device by the end of 2016, when it could be used to test and treat illnesses from STIs to Ebola, at speed and with great accuracy.
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A small hand-held device developed by scientists in Newcastle can analyse DNA in under 15 minutes with the accuracy of a state-of-the-art laboratory. The aim is to launch the Q-POC device (illustrated) by the end of 2016, when it could be used to test and treat illnesses from STIs to Ebola, at speed and with great accuracy
Jonathan O'Halloran, 39, has been working on the Star Trek-inspired device for eight years with the intention of designing a handheld gadget that can give doctors the power of an expert lab in their hands and potentially even be used by everyday people to understand and treat ailments.
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The co-founder of QuantuMDx in Newcastle has likened his invention to a 'Tricorder,' telling Kernel Mag: 'We're trying to get to a point where we can do in-field diagnosis.'
Mr Spock's 'Tricorder' (pictured in a screenshot from Star Trek) is fast becoming fact rather than science fiction, and as soon as next year could allow people to diagnose illnesses in a matter of minutes
The company's wesbite says: 'QuantuMDx is The Future. Our handheld laboratory will deliver complex diagnostics in minutes for a few dollars in any setting across the globe.'
The latest prototype measures nine inches (20cm) long with a screen and space for cartridges to be inserted, which can contain a sample of blood, for example.
The device uses a process called polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to multiply the sample, creating enough DNA to carry out genetic testing for certain illnesses.
Each cartridge is pre-loaded with reagents - substances used in chemical analysis - specific to a disease.
An operator would insert different cartridges for different tasks into the device, allowing them to test for multiple diseases in a short period of time.
It shows results on the screen in between 10 and 15 minutes.
O'Halloran told Kernal's Chris Stokel-Walker that tests could diagnose a case of malaria and even recommend which drug to use to treat it.
The prototype measures nine inches (20cm) long with a screen and space for cartridges to be inserted, which can contain a sample of blood, for example. This illustration shows the processes combined by the device
He also hopes the gadget could help diagnose contagious diseases such as gonorrhoea and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) quickly so patients don't have to return to the doctor's to pick up their results days later and can get the treatment they need faster.
The device could diagnose a resistant strain to prevent the 'super gonorrhoea' outbreak that has recently swept part of the UK, for example,
Such technology may also have helped with the recent Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which claimed the lives of more than 11,314 people.
O'Halloran believes that by cutting the time between in-field diagnosis and treatment – in Ebola's case, the experimental drug ZMapp – could prevent the spread of such deadly and infectious diseases.
The device, which fits into a pocket, is designed for use in remote areas with no need for a stable electricity supply or clean water.
It's hoped it could also one day be used to diagnose and treat tuberculosis, tropical diseases, hospital acquired diseases, emerging infections such as swine flu and early infant diagnosis of HIV.
While the prototype costs around $80 (£52) to make in Singapore, the firm hopes to bring the cost down so it can be made at scale.
The aim is for each compatible cartridge to cost between $5 and $20 (£3 and £13).
O'Halloran said: 'Most people thought—and were really happy to tell me—it was impossible to test a sample in a molecular diagnostic DNA test' which analyses DNA to pinpoint diseases.
'Most people said it was even more impossible to put it into a handheld device,' he added.
He thinks his invention could change the healthcare industry so centralised labs could be replaced by handheld devices and diagnoses could be made in minutes instead of days or weeks.
The firm is also working on a similar device to profile tumours which could be used to diagnose cancers.
O'Halloran told Kernal's Chris Stokel-Walker that tests could diagnose a case of malaria and even recommend which drug to use to treat it. A stock image of a female mosquito is shown above
O'Halloran believes that by cutting the time between in-field diagnosis and treatment could prevent the spread of such deadly and infectious diseases such as Ebola. This image, microscope image shows numerous coloured filamentous Ebola virus particles (blue) budding from an infected cell (green)
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