Researchers have developed an extremely cheap centrifuge made of paper, and can be easily used in developing countries to quickly seek out diseases such as malaria.
The device, called the paperfuge, costs about $ 0.20 cents to create, can be made with materials found in remote areas, and does not require electricity to be used, making it perfect for doctors in the field.
In case you are not familiar, a centrifuge is a device that can rotate samples, such as blood vials at extreme speeds, separating the materials inside to make them easier to analyze. Because of this, centrifuges are an essential laboratory tool.
The problem is that traditional centrifuges are large, heavy and expensive, and require electricity to operate, linking them to hospital or laboratory environments. This is why it is difficult to bring people living in isolated communities, where tropical diseases are frequent.
Without a nearby hospital, doctors are not able to quickly and accurately analyze the samples, putting these populations at greater risk of not being treated.
Stanford's team started from the idea of
finding a way to make a cheap centrifuge, and found inspiration in an unlikely place: an old toy called a whirlwind, these are toys that use pieces of string to spin a centerpiece, Sometimes making a buzz in the process. Its use dates back to approximately 3,300 BC.
The application of force to the handles unwinds the ropes, resulting in the rotation of the central disc. Once the strings are completely unwound, they begin to rewind, forming a supercoiled structure.
It turns out that this very simple toy also serves as the basis for a paperfuge, which the team built from paper, fishing line, wood or PVC pipe for handles, and straws to hold samples.
Using these materials, the team was able to achieve incredible strength in the samples, showing that human power and some items typically found around villages can make sophisticated diagnostic material.
"The paperfuge reaches speeds of 125,000 revolutions per minute (RPM) and equivalent centrifugal forces of 30,000g), with theoretical limits that predict 1,000,000 RPM," the team writes.
"We demonstrated that the paperfuge can separate pure plasma from whole blood in less than 1.5 minutes, and isolate malaria parasites in 15 minutes."
With their success, researchers hope to mass produce this pocket centrifuge in the future, saying that the entire device can be made using a 3D printer, with an average cost of about 20 cents each.
"The simplicity of the fabrication of our proposed device will allow the immediate mass distribution of a solution that is urgently needed in the field," the team writes.
"Ultimately, our current work serves as an example of frugal science: harnessing the complex physics of a simple toy for global health applications."
Take a look at the following video to see the device in action:
Source: Digital brain
Credits: Biomedical engineering y Ale Neurona