A device developed by scientists from the University of Utah can lead to rapid disease testing among other functions in the future. The device will be able to test samples such as saliva, blood and urine loaded on a card for determination of diseases and illnesses. It's based on the giant magnetoresistance or GMR principle, that's the same principle used to read hard disk drives. It means that with various disease markers loaded onto it, it will be capable of producing test results instantly; waiting time for results will be virtually non-existent. To put things into perspective, think of how fast your computer can read a hard drive.

As of current, the device is the size of a desktop computer, but the ultimate goal is to shrink it to the size of a credit card reader upon commercialization. So basically, you just swipe a card with biological samples in it and you're done with your medical tests. Other than for medical purposes, the reader presents various possibilities such as the capability to have cards dipped in groundwater or exposed to ambient air tested for viruses and bacteria.