Development of Paper Analytical Devices to Detect Chemotherapy Drugs and Urinary Iodine Levels

Lab tests in low resource settings are often not readily accessible, however, problems that require lab tests to elucidate, such as, falsified drugs and health metrics are most needed in these areas. Low cost rapid testing devices can fill the need for lab tests in low resource areas, especially in low and middle income countries. I have developed paper analytical devices to address two separate testing needs. The first is the chemotherapy paper analytical device (chemoPAD) which can detect the active ingredient in four commonly used chemotherapy drugs. The chemoPAD has been used to find substandard medications in Ethiopia. The second device is the urinary iodine paper analytical device (uiPAD). The uiPAD can be used to visually distinguish between three biologically important ranges of iodide values in urine. These devices are both low cost and fairly simple to operate and interpret. While these PADs are not a replacement for precise laboratory testing methods, PADs can be used to give semi-quantitative results in areas where resources are limited.