Ozcan’s group at UCLA has created another device called the iTube. This is an assay device that measures the concentrations of specific allergens in food. The cell phone serves as the readout interface to a very intricate biochemistry that is done with a small sample of the food.
Typically, food allergen testing requires the services of the laboratory that is equipped with a lot of biochemistry and also requires specialized equipment and personnel. This ability to test for allergens simply would be very useful for many people suffering from allergies. Their lab has commented on the potential to test allergens from peanuts, almonds, eggs, gluten and hazelnuts. This work has been published in Lab on a chip.
This kind of technology has the potential to cause much needed disruption in the biology and devices area.