Feb 28 2011: I like those that aren't diagnostic. Lots has to go wrong before we get sick, let's look at how healthy we are. Before we get cancer we have low immunity, poor antioxidant defence, and subclinical inflammation. Here are some suggestions.
1. An elaboration on the excellent toothbrush idea - salivary hormones are a good indication of active hormone levels - better than blood which contains bound inactive molecules.
3. Hair is a good tissue to test for chemical contamination especially heavy metals.
4. Digestive health markers include undigested proteins and carbohydrates and unabsorbed fatty acids. An adequate fibre diet will release short chain fatty acids (also indicates adequate good anaerobic commensal flora).
9. Sweat is similar to saliva.
11. Heart rate monitor that sends data to the cloud with analysis over time of heart rate variability, especially during sleep. Apnoeaics are hugely undiagnosed. A single unit can assess blood oxygen saturation and heart rate and collate data.
16. A hat/shirt could do the same, sense slumping or identify a postural problem. Similarly shoes that analyse gait and weight.
22. A watch that analyses tremor and skin conductivity as markers of stress or fatigue.
Urine contains huge amounts of data, especially useful to collect multiple readings throughout the day. Diurnal hormone variations are particularly important. Single blood samples taken by pathology collection are notoriously unreliable.
I think we will get to the point where we have several devices that take many recording throughout the day and collates the data to give a functional indication of health status.
I think a watch could be a multi device reading gadget assessing many important parameters including estimating blood pressure, or even taking reading at set periods. And the high tech toilet. My top two gadgets.
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A comment on Conversation: Make a 'periodic table' of gadgets that will quantify our health and that still need to be invented: HIT, the Health Internet of Things
1. An elaboration on the excellent toothbrush idea - salivary hormones are a good indication of active hormone levels - better than blood which contains bound inactive molecules.
3. Hair is a good tissue to test for chemical contamination especially heavy metals.
4. Digestive health markers include undigested proteins and carbohydrates and unabsorbed fatty acids. An adequate fibre diet will release short chain fatty acids (also indicates adequate good anaerobic commensal flora).
9. Sweat is similar to saliva.
11. Heart rate monitor that sends data to the cloud with analysis over time of heart rate variability, especially during sleep. Apnoeaics are hugely undiagnosed. A single unit can assess blood oxygen saturation and heart rate and collate data.
16. A hat/shirt could do the same, sense slumping or identify a postural problem. Similarly shoes that analyse gait and weight.
22. A watch that analyses tremor and skin conductivity as markers of stress or fatigue.
Urine contains huge amounts of data, especially useful to collect multiple readings throughout the day. Diurnal hormone variations are particularly important. Single blood samples taken by pathology collection are notoriously unreliable.
I think we will get to the point where we have several devices that take many recording throughout the day and collates the data to give a functional indication of health status.
I think a watch could be a multi device reading gadget assessing many important parameters including estimating blood pressure, or even taking reading at set periods. And the high tech toilet. My top two gadgets.