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進入《中英對照讀新聞》Two-hour HIV test up for European inventor award 兩小時HIV快篩 問鼎歐洲發明獎
◎蔡子岳
A revolutionary device developed by a team of Cambridge scientists is transforming the diagnosis of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. The machine known as Samba can tell whether a person is infected with the virus within two hours of them giving a tiny blood sample.
一支劍橋大學科學家團隊研發的革命性裝置，正在改變撒哈拉沙漠以南非洲地區的「人類免疫缺陷病毒」（HIV）診斷法。這種儀器名為「桑巴」，只需2小時和1小滴血液樣本，即可判定人體是否感染HIV。
The new analyser, the size of a small coffee machine, which was developed by a team led by Cambridge blood scientist Professor Helen Lee, needs no laboratory or trained staff. It can be carried on a motorcycle and its reagents can withstand high temperatures and humidity.
這種新式分析器的大小相當於一台小型咖啡機，它是由劍橋大學血液科學家海倫．李教授領導的研究團隊所研發，無需實驗室或受訓人員。它可由機車載運，其試劑可耐受高溫和高濕度。
In recognition of her team’s achievement in developing Samba, Lee has been named a finalist in the 2016 European inventor awards.
鑑於李教授團隊研發桑巴的成就，她被提名2016年歐洲發明獎的決選名單。
Working in close collaboration with charity Medecins Sans Frontieres, Lee and her colleagues have tested Samba on 40,000 men and women in Malawi and Uganda since the first prototype was developed in 2011.
自2011年首台原型機問世後，李與同事和慈善團體「無國界醫生」密切合作，已利用「桑巴」檢測馬拉威和烏干達的4萬名男女。
Apart from giving reliable diagnoses of HIV infection, Lee’s device can tell doctors the viral load - the amount of live virus materia. This a critical parameter for gauging drug dosages, and was previously available only in advanced laboratory settings.
除了提供可靠的HIV感染診斷外，李教授發明的這項裝置還能讓醫生得知「病毒負荷量」─即患者血液中活病毒的數量。這是估算投藥的關鍵參數，此前只能在先進實驗室環境得出。
