An Ingenious Microscope Could Change How Quickly Disease Is Detected
By analyzing blood samples 120 times faster than a traditional microscope, Octopi can lighten the load of overworked lab technicians.
In the rural parts of Uganda, lab technicians spend hours each day on thankless and seemingly unceasing work. The most common tests they run are for malaria. A technician smears a blood sample on a slide, treats it with dye, and then slowly scans it for cells that contain malaria parasites. She then uses a handheld clicker to record how many parasites she sees.
A typical test might take from 30 minutes to an hour. A health center might see dozens of patients in a day. When visited on a recent trip, “There were places where the technicians couldn’t stop to talk to
