Can smart lollipops detect disease?
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This needle-free device makes it much easier to test for certain diseases
Spotted: In remote and rural locations, there can be limited capacity for conducting invasive diagnostic tests, such as blood tests. These tests can also be stressful, particularly for children. One startup, called The Smart Lollipop, is developing a more patient-friendly way to conduct diagnostic tests or monitor disease.
The smart lollipop-shaped device is not for eating. Instead, the technology features a biosensor connected to an optical reader, which digitises the response and transmits it to an online platform for medical teams and patients. Patients place the smart device in their mouth, and tests are run from a collected sample of saliva.
According to the company, the smart lollipop can detect illnesses such as hypercholesterolemia and celiac disease using a saliva sample. The device is especially useful in paediatric medicine but could also make it easier to monitor conditions in adults by simplifying the process of data collection and making it possible to reduce the number of invasive tests run on patients.
The project began as a winner of the 2017 iFest Dream Big Challenge Innovation – an ideation competition in Barcelona. The team then further developed the project with accelerators, including UNICEF Lab and Ship2B Foundation.
Written By: Lisa Magloff