Fidget Spinner Diagnoses Infections

The fidget spinner toy craze took the world by storm — a small, boomerang-shaped gadget that rotates hypnotically around a ball bearing with a flick of the fingers. South Korean researchers have used this addictive toy as inspiration for a new point of care diagnostic device for detecting infections.

Bacterial pathogens cause an enormous medical and economic burden globally — a problem worsened by antibiotic resistance and diagnostic challenges. For many in developing countries, accessing microbiological testing labs is not an option. Consequently, millions die due to treatable infections year after year. The problem is just as prevalent closer to home. In the United States, close to 3 million infections and 35,000 deaths occur annually as a result of antibiotic-resistant pathogens.

The race to find simple, affordable and reliable diagnostic technologies has seen scientists searching outside the box for answers. Researchers at the Center for Soft and Living Matter, within the Institute for Basic Science in South Korea recently reported a new invention, called the diagnostic fidget spinner (Dx-FS): a pocket-sized device that uses centrifugal forces and fluid dynamics to warn the user of the presence of bacteria in a small volume of biological fluid. The research was published in Nature Biomedical Engineering.