Remote Diagnosis via Cell Phones

An article in the Economist shows an ingenious addition to the cell phone, attaching a microscope to a cell phone (if mass-produced they estimate the cost to be around $100). "Called a CellScope, it can show individual white and red blood cells, which means that with the correct stain it can be used to identify the parasite that causes malaria". This nifty little badboy would enable diagnosis to be carried about in remote areas as "Someone with a small amount of training would be able to take and stain blood samples, and then capture and transmit images to an expert who could carry out the diagnosis". Further, it could build up digital records, creating valuable data, and improve verification of drug trails and ITN interventions.