SFU researcher uses smartphone technology to improve rural health testing

A Simon Fraser University researcher is harnessing the convenience and power of a smartphoneto help improve access to diagnostic health testing for women in rural areas.

Zhendong Cao, a research assistantwith the School of Engineering Science and recent master's graduate in applied science, modified a smartphone's camera to be able to analyze a biological sample.

"The smartphonetoday ... can distinguish over 16 million different kind of colours," Zhendong said.

He explained the sample is put into specialized hardware, treated with a chemical and photographed under a special light.

"We'll see what the colouris. And based on the colour information we can sort of like do the reverse mapping and get that data."

One possible application is looking for the presence and amount of certain hormones.

"Thelevel [of hormone]can be an indication of well woman's health," he said. "[It can]indicate whether this woman is ready for, you know, to get pregnant or [indicate] a health condition."

Normally tests use very expensive and immobile equipment. The cellphone solution, while not perfect, presents a cheaper, mobile alternative.

"[It is] not as accurate and precise as that million dollar machine. But still that can be used as a preliminary result," Zhendong explained.

More testing to be done

Pablo Nepomnaschy, one of Zhendong'ssupervising professors, says the technology would greatly help women in remote areas.

"In many places around the world, women are not asfree to use contraceptive methods because of traditional customs or because of male dominance or because of religious impositions. And so if they can use their cellphone to monitor them for a proactive health it will be very helpful."

There is still a long way to go before Zhendong's tool can be used in the field.

"This research takes a lot of time and is extremely difficult,"Nepomnaschysaid.

He saidthere will be many tests and certificationsto prove it is reliable and compatible with existing equipment.