Mobile microscopy at work: Design and deployment of technologies for image-based screening and diagnosis
Professor Dan Fletcher, Ph.D., UC Berkeley
September 12th, 2013 6 pm (Meet and greet with food at 5:30 pm)
Blum Hall B100
Microscopy is a critical tool for disease screening and diagnosis, but access to microscopy is often limited to well-equipped medical laboratory settings staffed by qualified personnel. In many parts of the world, lack of equipment and expertise required for diagnostic microscopy contributes to poor health, spread of treatable diseases, and emergence of drug-resistant disease strains. While medical resources are scarce in many developing countries and rural communities, the widespread availability of wireless communication and camera-enabled mobile phones has the potential to fundamentally change the way image-based medical diagnoses are performed. A compact and portable microscopy system based on a mobile phone and capable of image capture, image processing, and communication with medical experts could dramatically increase access to basic health care by delivering services more quickly and more conveniently. I will describe recent progress developing and implementing a family of such devices, which we call CellScopes, to improve diagnosis of infectious diseases.
Professor Dan Fletcher, Ph.D., UC Berkeley
September 12th, 2013 6 pm (Meet and greet with food at 5:30 pm)
Blum Hall B100
Microscopy is a critical tool for disease screening and diagnosis, but access to microscopy is often limited to well-equipped medical laboratory settings staffed by qualified personnel. In many parts of the world, lack of equipment and expertise required for diagnostic microscopy contributes to poor health, spread of treatable diseases, and emergence of drug-resistant disease strains. While medical resources are scarce in many developing countries and rural communities, the widespread availability of wireless communication and camera-enabled mobile phones has the potential to fundamentally change the way image-based medical diagnoses are performed. A compact and portable microscopy system based on a mobile phone and capable of image capture, image processing, and communication with medical experts could dramatically increase access to basic health care by delivering services more quickly and more conveniently. I will describe recent progress developing and implementing a family of such devices, which we call CellScopes, to improve diagnosis of infectious diseases.