The Development of a Self-Build Power Supply Unit to Assess the Challenges and Barriers Associated with Designing a Malaria Diagnostic Detection Device
Date
2013-10-10
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Abstract
Malaria remains a serious public health problem across tropical and sub-tropical areas of Africa and around the globe. A potential solution lies in areas of biomedical research such as the development of a Malaria Diagnostic Detection Device (MDDD) and similar Point of Care (POC) devices. These diagnostic devices provide timely results leading to rapid clinical management decisions and patient care.
Trials on some high technology POC devices have failed to deliver appropriate diagnostics in Africa due to the lack of availability of portable power utilities, specialized operational and maintenance training, and increasingly sophisticated supporting components, which were not available locally. Therefore, before major investments were made in developing the MDDD, a Self-Build Power Supply Unit (SBPSU) was constructed. It consisted of simple components that could be easily constructed, operated and maintained locally and economically in Ethiopia. The SBPSU replicates were tested and resulted in successfully running gel-electrophoresis units. The construction and replication of the SBPSU was also used to train research participants at the University of Gondar in Ethiopia.
The outcome of this research provided an assessment of the requirements for developing the MDDD for use in Ethiopia. The lessons learned were incorporated into the design basis for the MDDD based on Loop mediated isothermal AMPlification (LAMP) assays for an accurate and rapid detection of malaria. It is expected that the implications of this work will foster future international biomedical research collaborations and provide insights for the next generation of POC infectious diseases detection devices.
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Education--Sciences, Human Development, Engineering--Biomedical
Citation
Prebeau-Menezes, L. (2013). The Development of a Self-Build Power Supply Unit to Assess the Challenges and Barriers Associated with Designing a Malaria Diagnostic Detection Device (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/28058