PhD candidate James Dou (ECE).When PhD candidate
James Dou (ECE) was a Master’s student, he couldn’t have imagined that exploring lab-on-a-chip technology would lead him to addressing a dire need in developing countries.
“I was hoping to develop something that could improve human health around the world, but I didn’t realize that we could design something that could make such a social impact on HIV patients,” said Dou.
Under the guidance of Professor
Stewart Aitchison (ECE), Vice-Dean, Research, he developed an affordable and efficient lab-on-a-chip for HIV monitoring in developing countries.
Today’s HIV blood-testing devices, called a flow cytometer, can cost up to $100,000. Dou’s patented lab-on-a-chip costs $5,000 to $10,000, and provides results in mere minutes.
The lab-on-chip has already gained interest from organizations in Malawi and Thailand, as well as AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the biggest AIDS-related charity organization in the U.S. With additional funding, the team plan to shrink its current prototype from a size of a breadbox to a handheld version. Their goal is to deploy 100 devices to organizations around the world in 2012.
Dou and his company ChipCare Corp., hope to then develop a similar device to – feasibly – monitor malaria and tuberculosis, among other diseases.
