Dataset Information

OpenDrop: An Integrated Do-It-Yourself Platform for Personal Use of Biochips.

ABSTRACT: Biochips, or digital labs-on-chip, are developed with the purpose of being used by laboratory technicians or biologists in laboratories or clinics. In this article, we expand this vision with the goal of enabling everyone, regardless of their expertise, to use biochips for their own personal purposes. We developed OpenDrop, an integrated electromicrofluidic platform that allows users to develop and program their own bio-applications. We address the main challenges that users may encounter: accessibility, bio-protocol design and interaction with microfluidics. OpenDrop consists of a do-it-yourself biochip, an automated software tool with visual interface and a detailed technique for at-home operations of microfluidics. We report on two years of use of OpenDrop, released as an open-source platform. Our platform attracted a highly diverse user base with participants originating from maker communities, academia and industry. Our findings show that 47% of attempts to replicate OpenDrop were successful, the main challenge remaining the assembly of the device. In terms of usability, the users managed to operate their platforms at home and are working on designing their own bio-applications. Our work provides a step towards a future in which everyone will be able to create microfluidic devices for their personal applications, thereby democratizing parts of health care.

SUBMITTER: Alistar M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5590459 | biostudies-other | 2017 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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OpenDrop: An Integrated Do-It-Yourself Platform for Personal Use of Biochips.

Alistar Mirela M Gaudenz Urs U

Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) 20170519 2

Biochips, or digital labs-on-chip, are developed with the purpose of being used by laboratory technicians or biologists in laboratories or clinics. In this article, we expand this vision with the goal of enabling everyone, regardless of their expertise, to use biochips for their own personal purposes. We developed OpenDrop, an integrated electromicrofluidic platform that allows users to develop and program their own bio-applications. We address the main challenges that users may encounter: acces ...[more]

PMID: 28952524

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Project description:BackgroundThe application of telemedicine and electronic health (eHealth) technology has grown in importance during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a new approach in personal data management and processing MyData, has emerged. Data portability and informational self-determination are fundamental concepts of MyData. This study analysed the factors that influence acceptance of the MyData platform, which, reflects the right to self-determine personal data.MethodsThe study involved participants having experience using the MyData platform, and the key factors of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology were used in the research model (performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitation condition and behavioural intention to use). The questionnaire comprided 27 items, and system usage log data were used to confirm that behavioural intention to use affected actual use behaviour through structural equation modeling.ResultsIn total, 1153 participants completed the survey. The goodness of fit in the structural equation model indices indicates that the data fit the research model well. Performance expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions had direct effects on behavioural intention to use. We used system usage log data to confirm that behavioural intention to use positively affected actual use behaviour. The impact of the main factors in the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology was not moderated by age or gender, except for performance expectancy.ConclusionsThis study is the first to examine the factors influencing the use of the MyData platform based on the personal health record data sharing system in Korea. In addition, the study confirmed the use behaviour of the MyData platform utilising the system's actual usage log for each function and analysing the effect of the intention of use on actual use. Our study serves as a significant foundation for the acceptance of data portability and sharing concepts. It also lays the foundation for expanding the data economy and ecosystem in the pandemic era.

Project description:BackgroundAs a counter-cluster measure to prevent the spread of the infectious novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), an efficient system for health observation outside the hospital is urgently required. Personal health records (PHRs) are suitable for the daily management of physical conditions. Importantly, there are no major differences between the items collected by daily health observation via PHR and the observation of items related to COVID-19. Until now, observations related to COVID-19 have been performed exclusively based on disease-specific items. Therefore, we hypothesize that PHRs would be suitable as a symptom-tracking tool for COVID-19. To this end, we integrated health observation items specific to COVID-19 with an existing PHR-based app.ObjectiveThis study is conducted as a proof-of-concept study in a real-world setting to develop a PHR-based COVID-19 symptom-tracking app and to demonstrate the practical use of health observations for COVID-19 using a smartphone or tablet app integrated with PHRs.MethodsWe applied the PHR-based health observation app within an active epidemiological investigation conducted by Wakayama City Public Health Center. At the public health center, a list is made of individuals who have been in close contact with known infected cases (health observers). Email addresses are used by the app when a health observer sends data to the public health center. Each health observer downloads the app and installs it on their smartphone. Self-observed health data are entered daily into the app. These data are then sent via the app by email at a designated time. Localized epidemiological officers can visualize the collected data using a spreadsheet macro and, thus, monitor the health condition of all health observers.ResultsWe used the app as part of an active epidemiological investigation executed at a public health center. During the investigation, 72 close contacts were discovered. Among them, 57 had adopted the use of the health observation app. Before the introduction of the app, all health observers would have been interviewed by telephone, a slow process that took four epidemiological officers more than 2 hours. After the introduction of the app, a single epidemiological officer can carry out health observations. The app was distributed for free beginning in early March, and by mid-May, it had been used by more than 20,280 users and 400 facilities and organizations across Japan. Currently, health observation of COVID-19 is socially recognized and has become one of the requirements for resuming social activities.ConclusionsHealth observation by PHRs for the purpose of improving health management can also be effectively applied as a measure against large-scale infectious diseases. Individual habits of improving awareness of personal health and the use of PHRs for daily health management are powerful armaments against the rapid spread of infectious diseases. Ultimately, similar actions may help to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Dataset Information

OpenDrop: An Integrated Do-It-Yourself Platform for Personal Use of Biochips.

Publications

OpenDrop: An Integrated Do-It-Yourself Platform for Personal Use of Biochips.

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