Title:	TELE-MICROSCOPY SYSTEM BASED ON MOBILE TELEPHONE FOR DISTANCE DIAGNOSIS OF TUBERCULOSIS IN REMOTE AREAS OF PARAGUAY
Author(s):	Virgilio Cane, Margarita Samudio, Juan García, Natalie Weiler and Xabier Basogain
ISBN:	978-989-8533-77-7
Editors:	Mário Macedo and Piet Kommers
Year:	2018
Edition:	Single
Keywords:	Tele-Microscopy, Tuberculosis, Smartphone, Diagnosis, Internet
Type:	Short Paper
First Page:	187
Last Page:	190
Language:	English
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Paper Abstract:	Optical microscopy provides a simple and cost-effective method of laboratory diagnosis, which is essential for the diagnosis of infectious and hematological diseases. In many regions of the world, especially in remote areas, there are no health personnel trained for performing a quality diagnosis of these diseases. Therefore, a tele-microscopy system that helps health professionals at national reference centers through remote interpretation of the obtained images will be very important. Tuberculosis remains a major public health problem in Paraguay. Diagnosis and monitoring of treatment are based mainly on bacilloscopy (examination of a sputum smear to verify the presence of specific bacilli). This test can be carried out in a laboratory with minimal resources such as Ziehl Neelsen reagents and a microscope. Most of the primary care centers in Paraguay have these resources. It is a simple, efficient and low-cost test. The objective of this project is to develop a tele-microscopy system for the efficient diagnosis of tuberculosis in remote areas of Paraguay using transmission technology and data storage via mobile networks. This tele-microscopy system will be initially applied to remote interpretation of the cases and evaluation of the smears within the quality control framework of tuberculosis diagnosis carried out at the Central Laboratory of Public Health. Furthermore, its application could be extended to the diagnosis of other diseases of public health importance in Paraguay such as Chagas disease, malaria, leishmaniosis and superficial and deep mycosis.
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