Communications of the ACM
Smartphone Camera Can Illuminate Bacteria Causing Acne, Dental Plaque
Researchers at the University of Washington have developed a method of using smartphone-derived images to identify potentially harmful bacteria on skin and in oral cavities.
Credit: He et al.
Researchers at the University of Washington have developed a technique to identify potentially harmful bacteria on skin and in the mouth using images taken by conventional smartphone cameras.
Their cost-effective approach — which could become the basis for home-based methods to assess basic skin and oral health — combines a smartphone-case modification with image-processing methods.
The researchers attached a three-dimensional printed ring featuring 10 LED black lights around the smartphone case's camera opening, which researcher Qinghua He said serve to "'excite' a class of bacteria-derived molecules called porphyrins, causing them to emit a red fluorescent signal that the smartphone camera can then pick up."
Researcher Ruikang Wang explained, "If you have bacteria producing a different byproduct that you want to detect, you can use the same image to look for it — something you can't do today with conventional imaging systems."
From University of Washington News
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Abstracts Copyright © 2021 SmithBucklin, Washington, DC, USA
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