2. 2
Everywhere in the world,
it takes only one MMS to receive an accurate diagnosis
Limited training and geographi-
cal isolation of laboratory tech-
nicians (and health workers in
general) in remote, underserved
areas severely affects quality of
diagnosis, hence of control and
therapy of many diseases. In
most cases, diagnostic confir-
mation relies on slow, unafforda-
ble, unpractical or inappropriate
technologies.
Overview
Mobile Diagnosis provide an
easy way to get accurate dia-
gnosis using only existing and
widespread platforms (MMS)
and low cost devices (mobile
phone). Furthermore this system
can be used by everyone even
without a medical instructions.
3. 3
MobileDiagnosis was founded
by Livia Bellina, an italian patho-
logist who worked for the NHS in
Lampedusa island. In April 2008,
she found herself in the urgent
need to confirm a diagnosis of
malaria from a blood sample of
an African immigrant. With no
other means at hand, she took
a picture of the microscopic field
using the camera incorporated
in mobile-phone, without addi-
tional devices, and sent it via
MMS for tele-diagnostic purpo-
ses to a reference center. The
described method has been filed
for patent in April 2008, with the
The Idea
sole purpose to protect the idea
from commercialization and con-
sent its free use and dissemina-
tion (EPO application number
09005054.3 2002 - 2008 April)
but only in 2009 MobileDiagno-
sis aquired real life and a global
relevance.
The meeting with Eduardo
Missoni has been determinant;
Eduardo in fact understood im-
mediately the relevance of the
method, and the two scientists
together, just after two months
after their meeting published the
method on a open source scien-
tific magazine.
Place the lens of your integra-
ted mobile-phone camera on the
ocular of the microscope and
take the picture. Then, send it via
MMS for a consult.
4. 4
How it works
Peripheral healthcenter sends a
“critical” diagnostic image taken
with cell phone by MMS
Main refernce center/laborato-
ry receives the image and im-
mediately sends an alert SMS
to on call doctor to consult.
Local refernce doctor make
supporting diagnosis and sen-
ds answer by SMS.
Diagnosis returns to peripheral
laboratory by SMS.
The images are also stored in a
web platform, to be visualized
from national and international
consultant and also are used to
create a diagnostic database.
MMS with image.
5. 5
Chance to follow deseases’
spreading and to give aimed help.
Benefits
Better
diseases prevention
Improve needy people
and rural communties health.
Higher accessibility
of m-phone over internet.
Chance for local people
to help their communities.
Decrease
of medical costs.
Decrease of mortality
within children under five.
A diagnostic help, consulen-
ce, second opinion is the main
way to give a correct diagno-
sis.
In the same way, students can
easily examinate specimen,
and discuss about diagnosis
simply taking a picture of the
microscopic field (or dermato-
logic field, or others).
This method, affordable, easy
and not related to internet net-
work, can easily reach all tar-
get in all settings, health posts,
health centers, etc.
Rural community students can
learn the method easily and
don’t need a long training.
6. MD Projects
Here are all the areas where
Mobile Diagnosis worked and
will work to improve healthca-
re in rural communities all
around the world.
Past Projects
• Uganda (Gulu)
• Bangladesh (Comilla)
• Bangladesh (Dinajpur)
• Afghanistan (Herat)
Future Projects
• Bangladesh
• Madagascar
Past Projects
Future Projects
Uganda
Afghanistan
Bangladesh
Madagascar
Bangladesh
7. 7
Past Projects
Year
Country
Cities
2009
Uganda
Gulu
Saint Mary Hospital
Children community
Saint Mary Hospital
Rural Village
In Gulu,Uganda, September-No-
vember 2009, Livia has been in
Lacor Hospital, after invitation of
Corti Foundation. Here she tau-
ght to students of second year
of school for labtechnicians and
she built the teaching room for
pratical laboratory and introdu-
ced the students to microscopy.
In Lacor, she taught for the first
time using the mobile as educa-
tive tool: all students learned ea-
sily and quickly MobileDiagnosis
was born.
8. 8
Past Projects
Year
Country
Cities
2010
Bangladesh
Dhaka
Bhuapur
Comilla health center
MobileDiagnosis partenered
with Nobel Professor Moham-
mad Yunus, and help in intro-
ducing the “mobilediagnosis”
method in rural communities in
Bangladesh.
• In rural centers of Grameen
Kalyan in Bhuapur, Tangail
16 lab technicians learned
lowcost telepathology and
basic telemedicine using only
local minimal equipment and
available personal cellpho-
nes. In Comilla district, 6
medical doctors were trained
about logic clinic, differential
diagnosis, primary health
care and transmission of ul-
trasound images with the
mobile-phone.
• Later the diagnostic images
from peripheral health cen-
ters were sent to Dhaka
Central Grameen office for
a distant diagnosis from a far
location. Students of community
Comilla Health Center
Students taking pictures
9. 9
Past Projects
Year
Country
Cities
2010
Bangladesh
Dinajpur
St.Vincent Hospital
In Dinajpur, MobileDiagnosis
worked with healthworkers and
student of Saint Vincent Mis-
sionary Hospital of PIME (Pope
Institute of Foreign Missio-
nary Organizations).
Here for the first time Mobile
Diagnosis method has been tea-
ched to five young students (17-
25 years old) from the local rural
aborigenal community who had
no previous experience in me-
dical field. This brief experien-
ce proved that the method can
be learned by anyone in a very
short time regardless external
factores like scholarization or
age and that everyone can do
something for thier community.
Graduated Students
Saint Vincent Hospital
Local People
10. 10
Past Projects
Year
Country
Cities
2011
Afghanistan
Herat
Governative Hospi-
tal of Herat
MobileDiagnosis worked with
local lab technicians in a MAE
(Italian Cooperation Deve-
lopment) project in the Medi-
cal Laboratory of Childrness,
Governative Hospital of Herat.
Five lab technicians of Pedia-
tric Hospital has been introdu-
ced to microscopy and to the
use of mobile as educational
tool. They learned also to take
and transmit images taken
from microscope by mobile.
In Pediatric Hospital of Herat the
method proved its potential as
tool for bridging socio cultural
gap and permit Care and Edu-
cation to Afghanistan Woman, in
a context, were women access
to a male dominated health sy-
stem is restrained ; two women
with no education or lab expe-
rience learned in a few minutes,
driven by the curiosity caused
by seeing Dr. Bellina working,
to take pictures from a micro-
scope with a mobile phone. Herat People
Class with Dr. Bellina
Herat Governative Hospital
11. 11
Future Projects
Year
Country
Cities
2012
Bangladesh
34 rural communi-
ties in south-west of
Bangladesh
Mobile Diagnosis in partner-
ship with Smiling Rainbow
Foundation aims to improve life
and health condition of 34 ru-
ral communities in south-west
of Bangladesh. The project will
be developed in three phases:
• Selection of 68 people,
two from every rural areas,
who will take the courses.
• Building of “teaching room” as
teaching and working place.
• Training in 10-12 people
classes who will recive for-
mation in basic hygiene, ba-
sic microscopy and specific
patologies which occur most
frequently in this territory.
Theacher and Students
Local People
SRF Briefing
13. • Oral Cavity
• Tympanus
• Ortopaedics
• Dermatology
• Radiology
• Evidence Based
• Microscopy
Applications
MobileDiag
nosis
Connecting healt
workersworldwideforbet
terdiagnosis
One the greatest advantages
of Mobile Diagnosis is its ver-
satility, here are some exam-
ples.
14. 14
Applications
3 4
1 2
3
1
4
2
Oral cavity
Simply taking an image of the oral
cavity with your m-phone allows you
to analyze and diagnosticate several
patologies afflicting this area.
Tongue lesions
Avitaminosis
Tongue lesions
Avitaminosis
Aphtous
Tongue congenital
Hemangioma
15. 15
Applications
3 4
1 2
3
1
4
2
Tympanus
Mobile Diagnosis method allows to
take pictures with the otoscope and
magnificate the images of the tym-
panus area allowing to detect and
treat various illness of the ear.
Tympanus Tympanus
Tympanus Tympanus
16. 16
Applications
3 4
1 2
3
1
4
2
Orthopaedics - Lordosis
Taking an image of the patient and
sending it for a distant consult allows
healthworker to be sure of the tre-
atment in the ortopedic field.
Lordosis - front
view
Lordosis - front
view
Lordosis - right
view
Lordosis - rear
view
17. 17
Applications
3 4
1 2
3
1
4
2
Dermatology
Taking an image of involved tissues
and sending it for a distant consult
allows healthworker to be sure of the
treatment in the dermatology field.
Allergic reaction
to drugs (Mala-
rone)
fungine skin
lesions
Nevo
Fungine lesions
and bacteric
infection
18. 18
Applications
3 4
1 2
3
1
4
2
Radiological Examination
Taking an image of the x-ray scan
and sending it for a distant consult
allows healthworker to be sure of the
treatment in the radiological field.
Cranium x-ray
scan
Ankle x-ray scan Ankle x-ray scan
Feet x-ray scan
19. 19
Applications
3 4
1 2
3
1
4
2
Ultrsound Scan
Taking an image of the ultrasound
scan and sending it for a distant
consult allows healthworkers to de-
tect malformation or disfuction of the
phoetus and to choose appropriate
treatment.
Phoetus Scan
Ultrasound scan Ultrasound scan
Phoetus Scan
20. 20
Applications
3 4
1 2
3
1
4
2Oedema in
Children with glo-
merulonephritis
Evidence Based
Taking an image of the area invol-
ved and sending it for a distant con-
sult allows healthworkers to be sure
of the illness of the patient and of the
treatment needed.
skin fungine
lesions
Skin lesion pa-
rasyte microlar-
vae
Skin lesion pa-
rasyte microlar-
vae
22. 22
Applications
3 4
1 2
3
1
4
2
Hematology
Several deseases of the blood cells
can be detected taking a picture of
the microscopic field and if needed
enlarging it.
Hematological
alterations in
thalassemia
Immature RBC Immature WBC
WBC maturative
phase
24. 24
Applications
3 4
1 2
3
1
4
2
Parasites
In the rural areas where drinkable
water is often difficoult to find, para-
sites infections are one of the most
common diseases. MobileDiagnosis
helps to solve this problem.
Ascaris Lumbri-
coides
Strongiloides
Sterco Larvae
Fasciola Hepatica
Trichiuris
25. 25
Applications
3 4
1 2
3
1
4
2
Trypanosomes
Trypanosomes’ infection is detecta-
ble in blood stained slide; enlarging
the image make them easier to find
for healthworkers.
Trypanosome
Brucei
Trypanosome
Gambiense
Trypanosome
Crusi
Trypanosome
Brucei
26. 26
Applications
3 4
1 2
3
1
4
2
Malaria
In the rural areas where malaria is
present MobileDiagnosis is an im-
portant tool to confirm malaria po-
sitivity even if done as negative by
simply enlarging the image.
Malaria Game-
tocytes
Malaria Trohpozoites
Malaria infected
red cells
27. 27
Applications
3 4
1 2
3
1
4
2
Fluorescence
3
1
4
2
For confirmation of some disease
fluorescence is needed. MobileDia-
gnosis allows to take pictures of the
microscopic field in every light con-
dition.
Fluorescence
example.
Fluorescence
example.
Fluorescence
example.
Fluorescence
example.
28. 28
Applications
3 4
1 2
3
1
4
2
Histology
The study of tissues is easier if you
can zoom in the microscopic field to
detect anomalies. MobileDiagnosis
allows also healthworkers who are
not sure of the diagnosis to ask for a
second opinion.
Kidney Glomerule
with sclerosis
Histological exam. Histological exam.
Prostatic Ipertro-
phy adenoma
29. 29
Applications
3 4
1 2
3
1
4
2
Urin Analisys
There are several pathologies that
can be detected via urin analisys.
The analisys of the pictures can re-
veal even the less obvious patolo-
gies.
Uric Acid Cristals
Urinary tract
infection
leukocytosis
Calcium Oxalate
cristals
Spermatozoas
