Mobile device to make TB screening simpler
The innovative diagnostic equipment, designed by a team led by Prof.
Pabitra Nath from the physics department, was specifically engineered to serve communities in rural and isolated regions where sophisticated healthcare infrastructure is limited.
A TU spokesperson said the new device stands out as it does not need any chemicals or dyes for TB detection like in conventional techniques, but uses the natural glow (autofluorescence) of TB bacteria for detection of the disease. "The device has a built-in heating system to improve test accuracy and can be operated using a smartphone," he said.
Its affordability at under Rs 25,000 and lightweight design of less than 300 grams makes it highly portable.
These characteristics make it particularly suitable for regions with basic healthcare facilities.
"While LED-FM offers higher sensitivity than conventional optical microscopy, it has several drawbacks. It depends on costly equipment, chemical staining agents like auramine-O, and trained personnel for sample preparation and interpretation," Prof.
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Nath said.
"The device developed by the TU researchers leverages the principle of autofluorescence. The team's key innovation lies in the integration of a heating element within the sensor system. By raising the temperature of the bacterial sample, the system enhances the natural fluorescence signal from mTB cells, enabling trace-level detection without the use of stains or dyes," he added.The research group comprises two scholars, Biprav Chetry and Chunuranjan Dutta, from the Physics Department, alongside JP Saikia and Santanu Goswami from the Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Department, and Abhijit Gogoi representing Labdig Innovations and Systems Pvt.
Ltd. The team already filed a patent for the device (Indian Patent Application No. 202431035472), and their findings were published in the international journal Biosensors and Bioelectronics.
The University's Vice Chancellor, Prof. Shambhu Nath Singh, offered his congratulations and noted that this development could significantly advance TB detection efforts, particularly in rural communities.
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