DIY Clinical Lab [Hello World]

[bythelake23]

Hi DIYBio, 

While I have been following the group conversations eagerly, this will be my first post... here goes!

I am a physician-in-training with a strong interest in global health and frugal innovation/reverse innovation. I want to try to start a discussion to gather ideas re low-cost/DIY ideas around clinical lab testing. For instance, this digital microscope can help visualise cells. Other such ideas around being able to do either labs or imaging (eh via this tiny U/S device) are what interest me the most. Can more experienced DIYers help me start collating a list of potentially useful technologies and kits/instructions? 

Cheers!

@bythelake23 

[Simon Quellen Field]

With brand new ultrasound machines going for about $4,000, the Lumify business model (subscription at $200 per month) seems a little predatory. In less than 2 years, the traditional machine is cheaper. Or you can buy this one on eBay for $1,149 and win after only 6 Lumify subscription months.

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[Nathan McCorkle]

The Lumify device is also for licensed doctors only:
"
Phillips ultrasound equipment is subject to federal regulation and may only be sold to verified medical practitioners and institutions. 

"

I just wish the Chinese ebay/aliexpress models had 3D and/or doppler at a lower price... about a year and a half ago I got this quote from sonostar:
"

 CBox-5 color doppler box, price for you can be $5500(with one convex probe).

extra linear probe: $700

extra transvaginal probe: $700

extra micro-convex probe: $700

3D function: $400
"

but that is pretty far outside the price range for toys/emergency equipment (I go backpacking, travel internationally, have friends with large farm animals that get hurt/pregnant). 

Thinking of the pros of the Lumify device/app, if they allowed for purchase by non-physicians and included remote medical diagnosis (remote data analysis), and dropped the subscription to $100 for 2 weeks... then it could be a bargain for someone in an emergency (as long as the subscription didn't have to be continuous).

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-Nathan

[Gordana Ostojic]

I also agree with Simon, I bought a microscope for about ~$200 with lamp, and 3D stage (very useful when you are doing small things like cells). 

There are bunch of ECG kits and instructions (check sparkfun website).

I am interested in blood and urine analysis. Most people do microfluidics for that, but I like electrophoresis. There is a company that makes devices (capillary electrophoresis) for measuring ions in blood /www.medimate.com. What bugs me with all of these (even with electrophoresis), they all require supplies, test chips, solvents, etc. My guess is that until we make devices that can be run multiple times without supplies, we won't be able to make personal diagnostic medicine (my goal but probably overkill for you).

Gordana 

[John Griessen]

On 03/16/2016 11:15 AM, Simon Quellen Field wrote:
> ideas around being able to do either labs or imaging Ultrasound devices are what
> interest me the most

Seems like a regulated FDA use, not DIY...

but... there are getting to be more inexpensive components for ultrasound.

I've always thought having more than one transducer would be good.

Why not a an array -- then with some DSP and big RAM memory 3D would pop out,
and be dimension calibrated. For big areas that array could be used with a mechanism
that steadily moves it along in a straight line to cover area without distortion.

[John Griessen]

On 03/16/2016 12:05 PM, Gordana Ostojic wrote:
> What bugs me with all of these (even with electrophoresis), they all require supplies, test chips, solvents, etc. My guess is that
> until we make devices that can be run multiple times without supplies, we won't be able to make personal diagnostic medicine (my
> goal but probably overkill for you).

But there is a public health reason probably. Imagine a personal diagnostician drawing blood with lancets, (that is a supply
already, and worth it for sterility), then using a gel cartridge of some kind once, letting it sit for a month and repeating.

It would probably dry out and have different concentrations and go uncalibrated, triggering him/her to think the measured
diagnostic had changed.

The more likely way we will see inexpensive personal diagnostics is that supplies become a low cost commodity like lancets.

[Gordana Ostojic]

I meant capillary electrophoresis not gel one. The company that I mentioned does that and calibration is basically by comparing the different peaks. 

Regarding the lancet, I see your point but my goal would be mass data (bunch of biomarkers measured repeatedly). Lancet serves one purpose, so it is different ball-game. 

I firmly believe that we do need army of citizens digging and finding patterns in their own body to be able to advance health. They just need a convenient and reliable device like fitness bracelets now(and start with urine or saliva in the beginning). You don't even have to be rigorous with it, if you will measure every day, just want to know abnormalities (new peak, sudden increase). 

I am trying to do CE for this, it has good sensitivity, just need to try a couple of schemes how to do it without running buffers.Blood is already buffered. Currently working on it. I'll post when/if it works.