A low-cost, portable device for the study of the malaria parasite’s growth inhibition via microwave exposure

• Published in: HardwareX 2024-09, Vol.19, p.e00540, Article e00540
• Main Authors: Rua, Esteban, Coronado, Lorena, Donado Morcillo, Carlos A., Correa, Ricardo, Solís, Lina, Spadafora, Carmenza, Von Chong, Alejandro
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Hardware; Irradiation system; Malaria; Microwaves; Plasmodium
• ISSN: 2468-0672; 2468-0672
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00540

[Display omitted] Recently, a novel method for the growth inhibition of malaria parasites using microwaves was proposed. However, the apparatuses used to demonstrate this method are high-cost and immovable, hindering the progression in this field of research, which is still in its early stages. This paper presents the redesign, construction, and validation of an equivalent system, converting it into a portable and low-cost system, capable of replacing the existing one. The proposed system is mainly composed of an RF generator (MAX2870), an RF amplifier (SKYWORKS 66292-11) and a graphical user interface. Likewise, the RF applicator proposed by the original study was redesigned, resulting in a five-fold improvement in return loss. The obtained results indicate that the proposed system achieves 90% parasite growth inhibition, matching the performance of its counterpart at less than 1% of its cost. These results represent a breakthrough for the creation of smaller, enhanced devices that open new possibilities for an alternative treatment to combat this devastating disease.