Smartphone Detects Diabetes Through Saliva Sampling

Researchers have created a new technique where individuals can detect diabetes in a saliva sample while using their smartphone, according to a collaborated study by researchers from Tec de Monterrey and the University of Houston.

The new device will provide immediate results and will be used for diagnosis within low-income communities, according to a news release.

"While the idea is to make the patient's life easier, we also want to bring health care to the low-income population, helping to make an early detection before it can lead to more problems and take action to prevent high costs for the population and the government, " said project coordinator, Dr. Marco Antonio Rite Palomares, from Tec de Monterrey. "It's as simple as pregnancy tests, where the specific marker shows in a few seconds."

The new device detects saliva on a biological indicator, which is adaptable to a smart phone, and the results are revealed in a matter of seconds, according to the researchers. The device detects if a person is at risk for Type II diabetes. The device has a cartridge adaptable to a mobile phone that records whether a compound is present in saliva, which becomes visible if a person has diabetes.

"We wanted a device which could identify a biomarker in a sample of saliva, and it had to emit fluorescent light so a cell phone camera could record it," said Rite Palomares.

The researchers have considered using a phone camera to detect the marker in saliva, since resolutions are getting better each year. The researchers claimed that the project should be completed in two years and they are hoping to commercialize their new device. 

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