Mr Spock's 'Tricorder' is fast becoming fact rather than science fiction, and as soon as next year a gadget could allow people to diagnose illnesses in a matter of minutes. A small hand-held device developed by scientists in Newcastle is designed to analyse DNA in less than 15 minutes with the accuracy of a state-of-the-art laboratory. The aim is to launch the Q-POC device by the end of 2016, when it could be used to test and treat illnesses from STIs to Ebola, at speed and with great accuracy. Jonathan O'Halloran, 39, has been working on the Star Trek-inspired device for eight years with the intention of designing a handheld gadget that can give doctors the power of an expert lab in their hands and potentially even be used by everyday people to understand and treat ailments.Like Mr Spock's Tricorder, the Q-POC device can diagnose illnessesSmall device invented by scientists in Newcastle could launch in 2016It can analyse DNA in under 15 minutes with the accuracy of a labCould be used to diagnose tropical illnesses, TB, STIs and Malaria
The co-founder of QuantuMDx in Newcastle has likened his invention to a '_,' telling Kernel Mag: 'We're trying to get to a point where we can do in-field diagnosis.' They then have to put it into the Q-POC device, likened to a _. The _ hopes to inspire a wireless device capable of detecting a range of diseases, including anaemia, tuberculosis and diabetes.