By: Amal Hashim – Social Development and Policy Major 2020
(Student, School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Habib University)
The second talk under TechPen theme was an absolute success with a story like no other. Mr. Muhammad Waqas , co-founder of WonderTree, came to Habib University on 10th October 2017 to talk about Social Entrepreneurship in Pakistan.
Social entrepreneurship refers to those techniques used by start up companies by which they hope to resolve cultural, social, and environmental issues around them and is a relatively new field in Pakistan and has not been penetrated by a lot of people. Continue reading →
Read MoreDr. Ahmad Usman is a faculty member of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at Habib University in Karachi, Pakistan. The recipient of the US Fullbright Scholarship, Dr. Usman completed his Master’s in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering and Ph.D. in ECE through the Georgia Institute of Technology. His doctoral work covers a variety of interdisciplinary fields including integration of functional proteomics, microfluidics, nanofabrication, surface chemistry, and nano-optics for the realization of a novel lab-on-a-chip platform for advanced healthcare solutions. Interestingly, the Professor is also passionate about photography and cooking.
Dr. Usman’s lecture was a marvel to behold as he spoke about innovative and cost-effective healthcare solutions, i.e., the possibility of converting smartphones to fluorescence microscopes and thereby enabling phones to be used for the detection of infectious diseases. Clinical diagnostics involve the inefficiencies of not being accessible at all times and not giving quick results. Laboratory tests take quite some time, requiring specialized equipment, dedicated facilities, and trained staff, all of which mandate costly resources that pose a greater problem for developing countries. The diagnostics process can be made smoother and more efficient through Point of Care (POC) devices such as blood sugar and blood pressure meters, that can be conveniently used at home for quick results. The speaker emphasized how POCs and smart devices in addition to being cost-effective, also pack the advantages of being easy to use, portable, and providing connectivity.
To demonstrate his point, Dr. Usman presented how a smartphone can be converted into a microscope that can be used to test red blood cell concentration. A step-by-step guide on how to build your fluorescence microscope attachable to a smartphone, using a torch, fluorescence filter, micro zoom lenses, tripod, wireless clicker, and a DSLR camera application proved the constructible device easily attainable. With the help of the microscope, it became possible to use the phone as healthcare automation solutions to test blood hemoglobin, platelets, red blood cell levels, and more, whenever or wherever required.
Dr. Usman brought along his converted device for the audience. During his demonstration, he also highlighted the built-in capabilities already existing within daily use smart devices like smartphones. From thermometers, motion and light sensors to health monitors, the advanced technology of smart devices holds immense potential for enabling easy and accessible means of diagnostics. Focusing on the development of such diagnostic devices as well as incorporating more advanced systems into smart devices appears a desirable direction for the healthcare technology industry.
