An app to detect the new corona with a smartphone camera will be developed

There are various methods for testing whether or not you are infected with the new coronavirus, such as PCR tests and antigen tests, and test kits that can be used at home are also on sale. Meanwhile, a new research team at the University of California, Santa Barbara has developed and released an app 'Bacticount ' that detects new coronaviruses and influenza viruses using a smartphone camera.

Assessment of a Smartphone-Based Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Assay for Detection of SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza Viruses | Infectious Diseases | JAMA Network Open | JAMA Network
https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.45669

Smartphone, MD: Going Viral | The UCSB Current
https://www.news.ucsb.edu/2022/020509/smartphone-md-going-viral

Bacticount is an application developed with the aim of being a highly sensitive, high-speed, and inexpensive virus detection tool, and it is possible to detect viruses by combining the technology 'LAMP method' that replicates a large amount of DNA like PCR and the camera of a smartphone. .. The research team has named the virus detection method using Bacticount ' smaRT-LAMP '.

The specific procedure for virus detection by smaRT-LAMP is as follows. First, prepare the equipment necessary for DNA amplification by the LAMP method such as a hot plate and heat block, and install a smartphone with Bacticount installed on it.

Then process the sample as you would a normal LAMP method. At this time, in virus detection using the general LAMP method, the presence or absence of virus is determined by simultaneously amplifying the virus DNA and fluorescent protein and measuring the fluorescence intensity, but in smaRT-LAMP, this fluorescence intensity is determined. The measurement of is performed with the camera of the smartphone. Therefore, it is possible to determine the presence or absence of a virus without preparing an expensive fluorescence measuring device.

According to the research team, smaRT-LAMP can distinguish between the new coronavirus and influenza virus. In addition, the PCR test costs $ 100 to $ 150 (about 11,500 to 17,300 yen), while the smaRT-LAMP can be performed for less than $ 7 (about 800 yen). 'With the emergence of new variants of the new coronavirus worldwide, testing is essential for pandemic control. Almost half of the world's population has smartphones,' said Michael Mahan , a member of the research team. Today, smaRT-LAMP has the potential to provide fair and equal access to precise diagnosis. '

In addition, Bacticount is only compatible with Android at the time of article creation, and can be downloaded from the link below.

Bacticount-Google Play app
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.garynfox.pathogenanalyzer

You can also check the source code of the app and how to add the corresponding virus on the Bacticount project site.

BACTICOUNT
http://bacticount.com/