George Whitesides is a Chemistry professor at Harvard University, and his recent work seems to have the potential to change the way diagnostic medicine works. Dr. Whitesides and his team have recently developed a prototype “paper chip” that is capable of diagnosing multiple disease simply with the application of a blood drop.

The coin-sized piece of paper acts very much like a comic book sheet does. When a drop of blood is placed on the opposite side of the paper, it soaks up through the paper and causes various diagnostic colors to show up on the “tree” in the front. The position and shade of the colors can tell someone if they have a host of diseases, ranging from HIV to malaria to tuberculosis to hepatitis to gastroenteritis. The best part? It costs about a penny, which is essential to diagnostic medicine in third world countries.

While this technology may seem very promising, other factors have to be taken into consideration. For example, it has been shown that very hot and humid climates can cause these chips to mold, which would ultimately cause errors in the readings. Dr. Whitesides also stresses that while these tests can be fairly accurate, people should still consult trained professionals just to be sure.

Source: CNN