Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - 32

Test & Measurement
that most of the time, the subject's leg
and the exoskeleton moved in harmony.
But for brief moments, the subject's body
moved while the exoskeleton didn't.
These pauses could be explained by the
way in which this exoskeleton works.
To provide extra strength, it uses
springs, which engage and disengage
as the person moves. The exoskeleton
pauses when the springs shift modes,
temporarily resisting the user's movement.
By detecting the nuances of the
exoskeleton's function, the new measurement
method demonstrated its attention
to detail.
The raw data alone doesn't always reveal
whether a fit is adequate. To improve
the accuracy of their method, the team
Smartphone-Based COVID-19 Test
The test uses a smartphone microscope and could deliver results in about 10 minutes.
University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
R
esearchers developed a COVID-19 testing
method that uses a smartphone
microscope to analyze saliva samples and
deliver results in about 10 minutes. The
method combines the speed of existing
nasal swab antigen tests with the high accuracy
of nasal swab PCR (polymerase chain
reaction) tests. They are adapting an inexpensive
method that they originally created
to detect norovirus - the microbe famous
for spreading on cruise ships - using a
smartphone microscope. They plan to use
the method in conjunction with a previously
developed saline swish-gargle test.
Traditional methods for detection of
norovirus or other pathogens are often
expensive, involve a large suite of laboratory
equipment, or require scientific expertise.
The smartphone-based norovirus
test consists of a smartphone, a simple
microscope, and a piece of microfluidic
paper - a wax-coated paper that guides
the liquid sample to flow through specific
channels. It is smaller and cheaper than
other tests, with the components costing
about $45.
The basis of the technology is relatively
simple. Users introduce antibodies with
fluorescent beads to a potentially contaminated
water sample. If enough particles
of the pathogen are present in the
sample, several antibodies attach to each
pathogen particle. Under a microscope,
the pathogen particles show up as little
clumps of fluorescent beads, which the
user can then count. The process - adding
beads to the sample, soaking a piece
of paper in the sample, then taking a
smartphone photograph of it under a microscope
and counting the beads - takes
about 10 to 15 minutes. A non-scientist
could learn how to do it by watching a
brief video.
Researchers image a sample using a smartphone microscope. (Photo: University of Arizona)
www.techbriefs.com
32
The team created a 3D-printed housing
for the microscope attachment and microfluidic
paper chip as well as a method
called adaptive thresholding. Previously,
researchers set a fixed value for what
quantity of pathogen constituted a danger,
which limited precision levels. This method
uses artificial intelligence to set the
danger threshold and account for environmental
differences, such as the type of
smartphone and the quality of the paper.
The team is working on an even simpler
method that leaves slightly more
room for error. It involves the same technology
but instead of a smartphone microscope
and specially designed enclosure,
users would only need to download
a smartphone app and use a microfluidic
chip stamped with a QR code.
Unlike the fluorescent microscope
technique, where the chip must be in
just the right position, the user simply
takes a snapshot of the chip. Regardless
of the angle or distance the photo is taken
from, the smartphone app can use AI
and the QR code to account for variances
and run calculations accordingly.
For more information, contact the Communications
Department at communications@
engr.arizona.edu.
Tech Briefs, March 2022
will also use computational algorithms
to analyze the positional data. The next
steps are to develop artifacts for the arm,
the hip, and basically all the joints the
exoskeleton is supposed to be in line with
and then perform similar tests.
For more information, contact Jonathan
Griffin at jonathan.griffin@nist.gov; 301975-4117.
TB
Test Measurement 0322_1.indd 32
Cov
ToC
2/15/22 1:43 PM
http://www.techbriefs.com http://info.hotims.com/82319-780

Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022

Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - Intro
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - Sponsor
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - Cov1
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - Cov2
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - 1
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Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - Cov3
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - Cov4
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - PIT-Cov1
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - PIT-Cov2
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - PIT-1
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - PIT-2
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - PIT-3
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - PIT-4
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - PIT-5
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - PIT-6
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Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - PIT-8
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - PIT-9
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - PIT-10
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - PIT-11
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - PIT-12
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - PIT-13
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - PIT-14
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - PIT-15
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - PIT-16
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - PIT-17
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - PIT-18
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - PIT-19
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - PIT-20
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - PIT-21
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - PIT-22
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - PIT-23
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - PIT-24
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - PIT-25
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - PIT-26
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - PIT-27
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - PIT-28
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - PIT-Cov3
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - PIT-Cov4
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - Sensor-Cov1
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - Sensor-Cov2
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - Sensor-1
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - Sensor-2
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - Sensor-3
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - Sensor-4
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - Sensor-5
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - Sensor-6
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - Sensor-7
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - Sensor-8
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - Sensor-9
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - Sensor-10
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - Sensor-11
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - Sensor-12
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Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - Sensor-14
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Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - Sensor-17
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - Sensor-18
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - Sensor-19
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - Sensor-20
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - Sensor-21
Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2022 - Sensor-Cov4
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