Hepatitis B is a serious and debilitating liver infection. While there is no cure, accurate diagnosis is crucial if patients are to receive effective treatment and understand how to stop its spread. Researchers at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, the University of Toronto, and the National Hospital for Tropical Disease in Hanoi, Vietnam have developed a “lab-in-a-pen” that offers safe testing in places with few health resources, improving access to diagnostic tools for remote and vulnerable communities. The pen lets health workers prick a person’s finger, collect a blood sample and process it for diagnosis.
The technology is a huge advancement in the battle against an infection affecting two billion people.
