Digitalisation of our body functions

Digitalisation of our body functions

• The use of digital computer  devices in analysing and reporting our body functions  is becoming  popular. Few examples can be
• use of smart phones in ophthalmology (the branch of medicine that deals with the anatomy, physiology and diseases of the eye). This replaces the traditional eye chart, and allows the user to  go directly to an optician  and obtain appropriate  spectacles  or contact lenses.
• Contact  lenses themselves are suitable surfaces on which tiny digital devices can be  embedded, with no hindrance to  the vision of the user.
• A group in Spain has put in a pressure-sensing device  on the contact  lens, which measures fluctuation  in the  intraocular pressure, real time, thus offering diagnosis for glaucoma.
• Another group  in Seattle has embedded  an entire integrated  circuit system on the contact  lens. This is powered  by the  battery of a cell phone  in the  pocket of the user, with which it communicates  via Bluetooth).  This device  is thus able to access directions  via the GPS facility that the phone  downloads  via the internet.  Imagine how useful this device would be for a blind person.
• Data storage  is now done  in devices smaller than the bindi  that our ladies wear on their foreheads;  perhaps,  her pulse rate, heart beat  and such can be monitored using the bindi.
• The pocket  ultrasound device to measure heart rate.
• the embedded  nanosensor- a nanoparticle-based  device that can be  injected  into your blood  stream and made to localize  in the wrist, finger or some such place  from where it can communicate  with your cell phone. The nanosensor can be used to detect cancer at the earliest.
• Are there any Indian technologies  and entrepreneurs working along these lines in India? Yes, the Remidio group in Bangalore  (www.remidio.com) has developed  hand-held  high magnification  retina viewer, and a digital  fundus imaging device that  can look into the whole funds of the eye and help in detecting  retinal problems.
• And another  group led by Dagar now has ―brailled the cell phone to help the blind not just touch and read words and sentences but ―see pictures.