Typhoid fever, more commonly known as typhus, is a disease caused by the Salmonella typhi bacteria. Typhus is still frequently encountered in developing countries located in subtropical and tropical regions, such as Indonesia.

The incidence of typhoid fever in Indonesia is quite high, reaching 500 cases per 100,000 population per year. Symptoms include prolonged fever, fatigue, headaches, nausea, abdominal pain, and either constipation or diarrhea. Severe cases can lead to serious complications or even death.

In light of this, students from the Faculty of Engineering (FT) and the Faculty of Medicine (FK) Universitas Brawijaya (UB) collaborated to create an innovative IoT-based typhoid detection device called Simbiot.

The team consists of Jordy Billionis Musa Napitupulu, Benny Dewantoro, Kevin Alexander Simbolon from Electrical Engineering 2023, as well as Az Zahra Putri Henata, Vitry Aisyah Ramadhani, and Sulthana Aulia Yasmine from Medicine 2023, under the guidance of supervisors Eka Maulana, S.T., M.T., M.Eng., and Dr. Yuanita Mulyastuti, M.Si.

“The current detection test methods are still semi-quantitative, so we are striving to develop a tool that can provide quantitative results, which are expected to be more accurate,” explained Vitry, one of the team members.

Simbiot uses Antigen Magnetic Particle Liquid as a reagent. The test results will be connected to an Internet of Things (IoT) application integrated with Fuzzy Logic. This tool adapts the TUBEX TF method combined with the ELISA Reader Vis-Light reading principle.

This method detects antibodies by its ability to block the binding between the monoclonal anti-O9 S. typhi reagent (antibody-coated indicator particle) and the O9 S. typhi antigen reagent (antigen-coated magnetic particle), resulting in precipitation and color change. This color change is then read by shooting light at a wavelength of 400nm. The reading results are displayed on an LCD screen and the data is also sent to a mobile application for healthcare professionals and patients.

Jordy, the team leader, explained that Simbiot is a new innovation in addressing the typhoid fever problem in Indonesia. Simbiot is smaller than previously existing spectrophotometry tools, making it easy to carry anywhere. This tool also has a high readability level, allowing for more accurate diagnosis of patients and assisting medical personnel in taking medical action.

“With its smaller size and practical and easy use, it is hoped that Simbiot can be utilized by health centers and hospitals in remote areas as an accurate, safe, and affordable early detection tool for all groups,” he concluded.

Simbiot, as an innovation in early detection of typhoid fever, not only provides practical and accurate solutions but also has the potential to improve the quality of healthcare services in Indonesia, especially in remote areas.

This innovation successfully received PKM 2024 funding from the Directorate General of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia. The research, creation, and development of this tool were conducted at the FTUB Electronics Laboratory and the FKUB Microbiology Laboratory from April to August 2024.

Together with thousands of participants from hundreds of universities in Indonesia, the team will participate in the 37th PIMNAS event on October 16-22, 2024, at Airlangga University (UNAIR). (mic)