Credit Card-Sized Chip Detects 100% Of AIDS Cases

If the global AIDS epidemic will ever be put down, letting people know they’re infected to begin will be a huge part of the solution. So how can it be better? Putting an AIDS clinic in a $US1 card helps.

The incredible mChip can diagnose both HIV and syphilis in 15 minutes, FastCo Incredible quality number two: it only costs a dollar. Incredible quality number three: it has a 100 per cent detection rate (albeit with a 4-6 per cent chance of a false positive).

The Columbia University researchers who developed the mChip hope to debut it in Rwanda — where it’ll also be able to beam test results to remote servers for easy patient organisation. Hey, that’s incredible quality number four! [Columbia via FastCo]