Smartphones as mobile microbiological laboratories.

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Mobile Health (mHealth)
• Diagnostic Technology

Background:

• Point-of-care (POC) diagnostics offer advantages over traditional lab tests, including speed and portability.
• Smartphones, with their advanced features, are increasingly integrated into POC platforms.
• The widespread adoption of smartphones presents a significant opportunity for mobile health solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current advancements in utilizing smartphones as part of mobile microbiological laboratories.
• To summarize the state-of-the-art in smartphone-based microbiological testing.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review of peer-reviewed publications.
• Literature search focused on smartphone-based microbiological testing.
• Analysis of studies published between January 2015 and August 2019.

Main Results:

• Smartphones serve multiple roles in POC testing: interfaces, microscopes, readers, and integrated platforms with methods like loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP).
• Smartphone-based tests are suitable for diverse settings, from remote to resource-rich areas.
• Connectivity enables epidemiological surveillance and disease mapping.

Conclusions:

• Smartphone-based POC tests for infectious diseases show promising results in proof-of-concept studies.
• Further validation and improvement are needed for widespread clinical adoption.
• Advancements are paving the way for large-scale implementation of mobile microbiological labs.