A groundbreaking portable diagnostic device developed by scientists at Imperial College London is set to transform healthcare delivery in remote and underserved areas across Africa, including Ghana.
The innovation, known as “Lab-in-a-Bag,” enables health workers to detect multiple infectious diseases within 30 minutes, eliminating the need for conventional laboratory infrastructure.
Researchers say the device is designed to tackle persistent challenges such as delayed diagnosis and misdiagnosis, which often arise when samples must be transported over long distances to testing facilities.
Dr Matthew Cavuto, Head of Engineering and Product Development, explained that the technology brings laboratory-quality testing directly to patients, allowing diagnoses to be conducted in villages, clinics, and field settings.
Powered by artificial intelligence technology called DragonFLy—developed in collaboration with ProtonDx—the system can identify a wide range of diseases, including malaria, COVID-19, influenza, mpox, and other infections, using a single sample.
The portable kit fits into a backpack and uses battery-powered equipment, making it suitable for areas without electricity. It employs magnetic nanoparticles, known as “Turbo Beads,” to extract genetic material from pathogens, with results generated in just 20 to 30 minutes.
To simplify usage in low-resource settings, results are displayed through a colour-coded system—pink indicating a negative result and yellow indicating a positive one—making interpretation easy even for non-specialist health workers.
Field trials are already underway in Ghana and several other African countries, with researchers testing the device in community clinics rather than hospitals to expand access to diagnostics.
Dr Nick Moser, a researcher in infectious diseases, noted that the system could operate in extreme conditions and run on solar power, further enhancing its adaptability.
Beyond individual diagnosis, the technology also supports real-time disease surveillance by uploading results to cloud-based platforms, enabling faster responses to potential outbreaks.
Scientists say ongoing efforts are focused on reducing production costs to ensure the device remains affordable and accessible, particularly for African healthcare systems where the need for rapid, reliable diagnostics is greatest.
