iPhone doc will detect cancer, diabetes - boffins A drop of blood or saliva can be analysed using an ordinary touch screen - and once boffins perfect the identification of biological molecules, then diagnosis by iPhone – or indeed any smartphone – isn't far off. The work is being done in South Korea, where researchers at the Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have …
The word you are looking for is "joymaker". An all purpose communication, information and medication device worn by all characters in the novel "The Age of the Pussyfoot" by Frederik Pohl, publ. 1969. In an afterword Pohl noted that he got the idea from seeing the early time-sharing systems in operation, and decided to extrapolate that by 500 years. He signed off saying that he thought it probably wouldn't take 500 years, ending with "Maybe not even 50".
Seven years to spare, Fred.
Now, consider the concept of linking a car ignition key to an app. Devices are already capable of retinal identification and thumbprint identification; add in the ability to detect blood alcohol levels, and it would be possible to have a car that you couldn't drive if you were over the legal limit.
What's to say that someone else who's not over the limit won't start the car up for them? Do you think that the biometric-enabled vehicles required to have all drivers "added" to the system? How difficult would it be to remove those drivers and add others when the vehicle is traded?
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There's a joke about a patient who goes to see his doctor about his tennis elbow, and the doctor shows off his new auto-diagnosis widget. The bloke creates a mixed-up sample from his daughter, his wife, himself, and some engine oil. Punchline is: "Your daughter's up the duff, your wife's got the clap, your car's about to throw a piston, and if you don't stop w*nking your tennis elbow is never going to get better."
Don't think so. Of course there are many different diseases covered by the term, but few if any of them can be diagnosed by means of a blood test alone; they require a tissue biopsy for an accurate diagnosis. So at best this could provide some sort of front-line screening. And then the issue of false positives leading to unnecessary biopsies would rear its ugly head. So: Needs more work.
After having had a pulmonary embolism in 2004 and then three more blood clots in my leg recently I have put on warfarin for life - this is a royal pain-in-the-inner-arm as I need to have INR checks on a weekly basis, which means half a day waiting at the doc's for the phlebologist to take my sample and send it to the hospital for testing.
Anything that would give me 1/28th of my week back would be very useful and means I won't end up with an arm looking like a smack-addict.
It still won't turn me an iphone user though - but hopefully the tech will be available to all - the benefits should outweigh any use by a company to patent it.
google coaguchek, I've been using one for years. Tiny thumb pinprick sample and Roberts your close relative!
Still worth popping into your local Phleb once every couple of months to keep calibration but my older model has never skipped a beat. You may have to buy the unit yourself but I believe the test strips are available on the NHS
Am I reading Viz or the Register?
Sensationalist headline which is quickly dispelled by the main article. Well done though - that was pretty amazing how you managed to shoe-horn the word "iphone" in at all.
I had been wondering why I don't visit this site as much these days, but I think this pretty much explains why - You've turned into ZDNet.
But you have an abnormal amount of turd in your blood!!!
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/10/14/mobiles_covered_in_e_coli/
That, plus the fitting but original use of the Sherlock Holmes icon makes this a 10/10 post!
(/bows) Thank you! Thank you!! I couldn't have done this without all of you!!!
But you have an abnormal amount of turd in your blood!!!
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/10/14/mobiles_covered_in_e_coli/
That, plus the fitting but original use of the Sherlock Holmes icon makes this a 10/10 post!
(/bows) Thank you! Thank you!! I couldn't have done this without all of you!!!
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