DIAGNOSTIC DEVICES AND METHODS

摘要

A diagnostic device is provided that comprises a light source for transmitting a light beam through a blood sample to a light detector, and a permanent magnet, wherein one of the permanent magnet and blood sample is automatically movable relative to the other between a “HIGH” magnetic state position and a “LOW” magnetic state position, such that a substantially high magnetic field is applied to the blood sample causing any hemozoin in the blood sample to tend toward perpendicular orientation to the substantially magnetic field and the suppression, or enhancement of light based on its polarization, and a zero-to-near-zero magnetic field is applied to the blood sample causing the randomization of any hemozoin in the blood sample and a baseline amount of light to pass through the blood sample in the “LOW” magnetic state position.

主权项

1. A diagnostic device comprising:
a light source for transmitting a light beam through a blood sample to a light detector; a permanent magnet, wherein one of the permanent magnet and blood sample is automatically movable relative to the other between a “HIGH” magnetic state position and a “LOW” magnetic state position, such that a substantially high magnetic field is applied to the blood sample in the “HIGH” magnetic state position causing the orientation of any hemozoin in the blood sample to tend toward being generally perpendicular to the field direction, and the suppression of at least a portion of the light beam if the light polarization is predominantly collinear with the field direction, and an enhancement to at least a portion of the light beam if the polarization is perpendicular to the field direction, and a zero-to-near-zero magnetic field is applied to the blood sample causing the randomization of any hemozoin in the blood sample in the “LOW” magnetic state position and a baseline amount of light to pass through the blood sample; and a sampling device that samples the light detector at the “HIGH” magnetic state position and the “LOW” magnetic state position to determine a difference measurement that corresponds to an amount of parasitemia in the blood sample.