Global Scope: Bringing affordable and rapid diagnostics to rural clinics
Annually, over 800,000 people, mostly children in Africa, die of malaria and more than 1.5 million people die of tuberculosis. These diseases are difficult to diagnose based on symptoms alone, but can be accurately detected using microscopy.
Traditional microscopes, even the low-cost ones, are underutilized because of their power and maintenance requirements. A typical microscope requires 30W of clean AC power, which is not necessarily available in rural clinics. Maintenance is complex and expensive: bulbs costs $20 to replace, skilled technicians are needed to calibrate it, and in dusty environments, there is a constant need for diligence in keeping the various surfaces clean.
D-Rev has prototyped and preliminarily field tested a production-ready microscope for use in the developing world that combines high-resolution imaging, extreme affordability, and long-term durability in adverse environments. The Global Scope has so far been a strong performer in the field. We estimate the Global Scope will cost $250 for brightfield illumination and $450 for epi-fluorescence illumination - less than one-third of the cost of a conventional microscope.
Vision
To help elminate deaths caused by malaria and tuberculosis by providing affordable and effective means for early detection, particularly in rural areas.