JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - A South African inventor has developed an anti-malaria wristwatch to help combat one of Africa's biggest killers by monitoring the blood of those who wear it and sounding an alarm when the parasite is detected.
Gervan Lubbe said his "Malaria Monitor" wristwatch, due to launch next month, could save lives and keep millions out of hospital by heading off the disease before patients even feel ill.
"It picks up the parasite and destroys it so early that the possibility of dying is absolutely zero and you don't even feel the early cold symptoms," Lubbe told Reuters in a telephone interview this week.
The sturdy digital timepiece pricks the wrist with a tiny needle four times a day and tests the blood for malaria parasites.
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I'm dubious. I've worked with malaria and with microfluidic detectors for pathogenic organisms, and I've not seen anything that small. Malaria is hard to spot, though there are a few tricks you can use. Still, I'd like to see some testing. The website offers no info: http://www.gervans.com/
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