Biophotonics experts at the CSIR have created a diagnostic tool that can detect illnesses in bodily fluid samples like urine, saliva and blood, using a smartphone.

The technology measures the level of light absorbed by different samples to detect and distinguish between various classes of pathogens, such as HIV, SARS-CoV-2 and TB, as well as non-communicable diseases, including high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.

Acting like a glass prism, the technology splits white light into a colour spectrum of different wavelengths. Different samples containing different markers for illnesses absorb light differently, and these differences are measured to detect disease. The technology is based on a unique geometry and composition, and both hardware and software are protected as CSIR intellectual property.

Such spectroscopical measurements are typically done in sophisticated laboratories using specialised and costly equipment.  By fitting the technology onto a disk the size of a South African 10 cent coin, it can be built into any smartphone, making it accessible to large numbers of clinics and health worker teams in remote areas.

The technology and prototypes are currently undergoing final proof-of-concept testing at the CSIR Medical Centre before being release to the market.