--- title: HIV and Syphilis Tests Can Be Done in 15 Minutes Using a Smartphone description: A team of researchers have developed a device that can be plugged into a smartphone and used to test for HIV and syphilis canonical: https://time.com/3696637/smartphone-hiv-aids-test/ author: Helen Regan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-02-05T04:25:24.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T04:10:01.876Z article:section: Health og:title: Your Phone Can Now Be Used to Test for HIV og:description: A cheap attachment has the potential to save millions of lives. og:url: https://time.com/3696637/smartphone-hiv-aids-test/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6ef96a9528e4ae6d/69877dc435ba6f784fc06ea6/smartphone-dongle-hiv-test.jpg?branch=production&width=684&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 684 og:image:height: 385 og:image:alt: Blood testing for HIV og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Your Phone Can Now Be Used to Test for HIV twitter:description: A cheap attachment has the potential to save millions of lives. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6ef96a9528e4ae6d/69877dc435ba6f784fc06ea6/smartphone-dongle-hiv-test.jpg?branch=production&width=684&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # There's a Smartphone Attachment That Will Test for HIV in 15 Minutes > Sponsored content. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's weekday health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free weekday newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-health-2026q3/newsletters?i=882c662e-7c9d-46e2-8735-63ca33997e8f&cr=time-nl-health-2026q3-v1) by [Helen Regan](https://time.com/author/helen-regan/) ## Helen Regan Feb 5, 2015 4:25 AM UTC  Blood testing for HIV Blood testing for HIV Getty Images by [Helen Regan](https://time.com/author/helen-regan/) ## Helen Regan Feb 5, 2015 4:25 AM UTC A team of researchers from Columbia University have [developed](http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150204144517.htm) a device that can be plugged into a smartphone and used to quickly test for HIV and syphilis. The mobile device tests for three infectious-disease markers in just 15 minutes by using a finger-prick of blood, and draws all the power it needs from the smartphone, _Science Daily_ reports. The accessory costs an estimated $34 to make and is capable of replicating tests done in a laboratory using equipment that costs many thousands of dollars. Samuel K. Sia, head researcher and associate professor of biomedical engineering at Columbia, described the smartphone accessory as “full laboratory quality.” Because it can be easily used in remote and impoverished areas, like rural Africa, it is hoped the small but effective smartphone accessory will save millions of lives from sexually transmitted diseases. \[[_Science Daily_](http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150204144517.htm)\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3696637/smartphone-hiv-aids-test/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3696637/smartphone-hiv-aids-test/"},"headline":"There's a Smartphone Attachment That Will Test for HIV in 15 Minutes","datePublished":"2015-02-05T04:25:24.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T04:10:01.876Z","description":"The device has the potential to save millions of lives","url":"https://time.com/3696637/smartphone-hiv-aids-test/","keywords":["Research","Africa","HIV","Columbia University"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6ef96a9528e4ae6d/69877dc435ba6f784fc06ea6/smartphone-dongle-hiv-test.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Helen Regan","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/helen-regan/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6ef96a9528e4ae6d/69877dc435ba6f784fc06ea6/smartphone-dongle-hiv-test.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Blood testing for HIV","caption":"Blood testing for HIV","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/research/","name":"Research"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3696637/smartphone-hiv-aids-test/","name":"There's a Smartphone Attachment That Will Test for HIV in 15 Minutes"}}]}] ```