Why Count CD4 Cells?
Most HIV-infected people don’t develop AIDS right away, because their immune systems can keep the virus in check for months and sometimes years. In general, doctors don’t recommend that infected people start taking HIV medications while their immune system is still healthy. Doctors know whether or not a patient’s immune system is healthy by measuring the “CD4 count.” This is the number of CD4 cells in a sample of blood. CD4 cells, also called CD4+ T cells, are a type of white blood cell that fights infection. HIV destroys CD4 cells, weakening the body’s immune system and ultimately causing AIDS. CD4 counts should be determined before a patient receives antiretroviral therapy and then measured regularly while the patient is on therapy. Why Develop New Technology? Most technology available to count CD4 cells is large, expensive and difficult to operate. These tools are therefore unsuitable for many low-income countries. Our research goal is to develop a device that meets the following cr
