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Patient invents portable sensor to detect gluten in food

Shared by Ana Duarte on 2015-12-11 12:13

About the solution

Shireen came up with the idea for this device at a wedding in 2012, when she realized she had forgotton her gluten-free snacks at home and the caterers for the event couldn’t tell her whether or not her meal contained gluten.

The Nima, a pocket-size device, works like this: You put a tiny amount of food or liquid (one-eighth of a teaspoon) into a one-time-use capsule, then screw on the cap to grind it up. The capsule contains a fluid that extracts protein from the sample so it can interact with a test strip which is coated with antibodies and changes color in the presence of gluten. The palm-sized Nima, which the capsule is then placed into, translates the reading into a happy face (no gluten) or sad face (gluten). 6SensorLabs says that within two minutes, the device can detect gluten levels to 20 parts per million, the standard for “gluten-free” labels set by the FDA.

At the time, Yates was earning her MBA at MIT. She teamed up with gluten-free schoolmate Scott Sundvor, then an undergraduate in mechanical engineering; together they founded 6SensorLabs and relocated to San Francisco in 2013.

6SensorLabs has priced the device between $179 and $199 until the pre sale ends. After that, it will cost $249 with a monthly subscription for a dozen capsules running $47.95.

More info: https://nimasensor.com

Adapted from: http://bzfd.it/2coZL1j

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This solution shall not include mention to the use of drugs, chemicals or biologicals (including food); invasive devices; offensive, commercial or inherently dangerous content. This solution was not medically validated. Proceed with caution! If you have any doubts, please consult with a health professional.

DISCLAIMER: This story was written by someone who is not the author of the solution, therefore please be advised that, although it was written with the utmost respect for the innovation and the innovator, there can be some incorrect statements. If you find any errors please contact the patient Innovation team via info@patient-innovation.com

About the author

Shireen Yates, from USA, born in 1984, has gluten sensitivity. She created Nima, a portable sensor that tests liquid and solid foods for the presence of gluten in about two minutes.

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