New Device to Help Those with Food Allergy Eat Safely

New Smartphone Device

The iTube may turn any smart phone into a testing lab for food allergens. Professor Aydogan Ozcan, recently named "one of the world's most brilliant innovators" by Popular Science, is working on a small device that can identify allergens in food products. The smartphone attachment weighs just two ounces and uses the phone's built-in camera to turn images into measurements to show how much of an allergen (such as egg, peanut, etc.) is in the food product.

Now, this isn't quite as simple as taking a picture of a cookie. It involves grinding up the food and mixing in some water and some reactive agents in a test tube...and then taking the picture. The process takes about 20 minutes. The product was recently introduced in the journal, Lab on a Chip and NY Daily News offers a picture and article. 

I love the potential this has both at home and while eating out. Twenty minutes is not so long if you're placing a restaurant order. Instead of playing with sugar packets, food allergy families can pull out the test tubes and check menu items for safety. Hmmmm...I think there's a potential for a new game here...

It's not on the market yet, but is this something you would buy?