On-the-spot paper medical sensors are already used for a few applications such as pregnancy tests, but there is so much more that can be done with these low-cost tests. A team of chemists at the University of Texas at Austin has made significant strides in this field by developing a 3D paper sensor that can detect HIV and Malaria in seconds and for the cost of around 10 cents. The news is important because in remote locations and in countries without advanced medical facilities, traditional tests for these ailments may be too expensive – or the facilities to transfer blood samples and test results may simply not exist.

Besides using hydrophobic material such as wax to create tiny channels on the surface of the paper sensors, the chemists embedded specific reactive agents in the paper. The paper sensors are folded up and a biological sample introduced. The channels direct the biological sample – blood, urine or saliva – to the reactive agents, which indicate if the sample contains the biological markers for a specific disease. When the sensor is unfolded it can be read by eye with no special equipment needed. The sensors don’t need to be made or folded in high-tech facilities, so the production could be handled in the very developing nations that would most benefit from using them.

The post Folded Paper Sensors Detect Deadly Diseases on the Cheap first appeared on Gajitz.

Most of us know all sorts of methods for preventing unwanted drugs from making their way into our drinks, but none of them are 100% foolproof. Scientists at the University of Tel Aviv have developed one more tool to help keep drinks safe from the nefarious types who might drop something or another into them. The new detection kit consists of a single straw or stirrer that would react with certain chemicals in a beverage, prompting the liquid to become cloudy or change color. So far, the device has been able to detect the presence of certain drugs with 100% accuracy and zero false positives.

The straw can currently only detect GHB and ketamine, but in the future will be able to sniff out Rohypnol (roofies) as well. And don’t worry about having to carry around a straw for every drink you plan to consume: the little plastic piece can be re-used over and over until/unless it comes into contact with one of the substances it’s meant to detect.

The post Drink to Your Health: Smart Straw IDs Date Rape Drugs first appeared on Gajitz.