Smartphone test for rapid detection of UTIs

The process can identify the presence of E. coli bacteria in a urine sample in 25 minutes and could make UTI testing more widely available in developing nations and remote regions thanks to its potential to be made portable, and more cheaply than lab-based tests.

As well as a smartphone camera, the test, which could be adapted to detect a variety of bacterial infections, is said to take advantage of widely available reagents and new micro-engineered materials.

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Described in Biosensors and Bioelectronics, the test uses antibodies to capture bacterial cells in capillaries within a plastic strip, detecting and identifying the cells optically rather than through microbiological methods.

"Currently, bacterial infections in UTIs are confirmed via microbiological testing of a urine sample,” said Dr Nuno Reis, from Bath's Department of Chemical Engineering who led the development of the test. “That is accurate, but time-consuming, taking several days. We hope that giving medical professionals the ability to quickly rule in or rule out certain conditions will allow them to treat patients more quickly and help them make better decisions about the prescription of antibiotics."