How a chemist and a doctor found a much cheaper way to diagnose disease
Twenty years ago, the Pentagon asked George M. Whitesides, a chemist at Harvard University, to invent a way to quickly detect anthrax and other biohazards in the field. His solution was a handheld device that used polymers to draw samples through a complex series of very small chemical baths. The design was straightforward. The only problem was that the Pentagon version was too expensive. For years, he and other researchers tried shrinking parts or using cheaper components. Then, four years ago, Whitesides had another idea. What if the whole thing was made out of paper?
For more information : http://www.popsci.com/bown/2011/innovator/one-cent-solution
Twenty years ago, the Pentagon asked George M. Whitesides, a chemist at Harvard University, to invent a way to quickly detect anthrax and other biohazards in the field. His solution was a handheld device that used polymers to draw samples through a complex series of very small chemical baths. The design was straightforward. The only problem was that the Pentagon version was too expensive. For years, he and other researchers tried shrinking parts or using cheaper components. Then, four years ago, Whitesides had another idea. What if the whole thing was made out of paper?
For more information : http://www.popsci.com/bown/2011/innovator/one-cent-solution
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