Apparatus for testing AIDS virus at home

2000/05/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Osasuna

Patients infected with the AIDS virus usually have to check the number of virus particles in their blood to see if their treatment is right. If the number of particles in the blood is high, they should change treatment and start taking new medicines. This means living permanently under the control of the doctor and therefore a significant loss of time and money.

Michigan Tech has just created a tool capable of solving this problem: Carrying device in the area of the HIV test. The device is similar to the diabetes test, is based on optical detection and shows the results instantly. From now on, AIDS patients will be able to know the status of their infection without leaving home.

Two different dyes are used to calculate the number of HIV particles in the patient's blood. Dyes are mixed with cell receptors and, when the HIV virus contaminates a cell, the cell acquires an intense color. In this way you can know the approximate percentage of cells infected by the virus in order to take the appropriate measures in time.