Silicon Valley-based startup Athelas today introduced a smartphone app that it says can do simple blood diagnosis at home and return results in just 60 seconds.

The kit itself looks a bit like an Amazon Echo device and is coupled with a smartphone app to reveal the results of the test. In a demonstration, co-founder Deepika Bodapati showed TechCrunch that from taking a sample of blood and sliding it into the device, within seconds users can see their white blood count, neutrophils, lymphocytes and platelets.

Bodapati and co-founder Tanay Tandon are well aware of the fate of a similar device that promised to deliver results but wasn’t exactly what it said it was. That was the blood testing startup, Theranos, that soared to a valuation of $9 billion and then crashed and burned after its effectiveness was called into question.

“Theranos proved there was clear interest in the space, it would have been a great company if it worked,” Tandon said in an interview with Bloomberg. “Now, investors say they need proof before we can raise money.”

Athelas has published papers on the accuracy of its data and has also been FDA-approved as a device to image diagnostics. Before it can be sold over the counter, it will have to receive further approval stating that it’s as accurate as a standard test in lab conditions.

Athelas has said its kit is not only incredibly fast, but also more accurate than human eyes. The tech uses machine learning to access a blood sample against thousands of images to distinguish between cells.

The startup has raised $3.7 million in a seed round led by venture-capital firm Sequoia Capital. Sequoia partner Alfred Lin said he believes the technology will one day become a regular instrument in any hospital, just like a thermometer.

Tandon said the device would be of particular help to cancer patients who need to check their white blood cell count regularly. If the cell count is low, patients typically cannot start a round of chemotherapy. Such a device could save patients wasted time and money going to the hospital.

Medical professionals told Bloomberg that Athelas could certainly be useful in such circumstances, although some doctors may have misgivings about adopting new technologies or might even be concerned about how fewer visits may hurt their bottom line.

Image: Athelas