Afraid there may be peanuts or other allergens hiding in that
cookie? Thanks to a cradle and app that turn your smartphone into a
handheld biosensor, you may soon be able to run on-the-spot tests for
food safety, environmental toxins, medical diagnostics and more.
The handheld biosensor was developed by researchers at the
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. A series of lenses and filters
in the cradle mirror those found in larger, more expensive laboratory
devices. Together, the cradle and app transform a smartphone into a tool
that can detect toxins and bacteria, spot water contamination and
identify allergens in food.
Kenny Long, a graduate researcher at the university,
says the team was able to make the smartphone even smarter with
modifications to the cellphone camera.
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