Magnets to fight malaria

John Lewandowski, un estudiante graduado en ingeniería mecánica en el Instituto de Tecnología de Massachusetts , ha inventado una máquina que utiliza imanes y rayos láser para identificar la sangre infectada de malaria incluso en pacientes que no muestran síntomas.

The device is portable, easy to use, and requires no specialized medical training. Each test can be performed in about a minute and costs no more than 25 cents. The parasites that cause the disease consume red blood cells but cannot digest the iron in those cells and it accumulates as crystals in the patient's bloodstream. Magnets in the device create a magnetic field around the blood sample while a low-intensity laser beam is fired. If the person is infected, the magnetic field will cause the pieces of iron in the blood sample to line up in an orderly pattern that partially blocks the laser light, thus detecting the disease.

The system is being tested in Peru and India. If the trials are successful, the machine is expected to be launched on the market later this year at a price of approximately €1,700. We at IMA are pleased that magnetic technology is also being used for disease detection and wish John Lewandowski's team every success.

Boston Globe story published on 4 May by Hiawata Bray: http://goo.gl/oIzz3t