Spoonful of Tech

Here we highlight the top three emerging technologies in the world of pharma. This segment features recent innovations in...

OPTICAL CHIP TO DETECT DISEASE

Personalised medicine is at the forefront of the future of pharma, and École Polytechnique researchers are taking us one step closer with the development of their ultrathin optical chip. The device surface contains nanostructure patterns which are used with light to detect biomarkers; change in the light wavelength signifies the presence of a molecule. This could aid the detection of early biomarkers of disease. Researcher Filiz Yesilkoy discusses the technology: “We then use smart data science tools to analyse the millions of CMOS pixels obtained through this process and identify trends.” The chip could advance the advent of personalised medicines and allow users to track their health at home, offering the collection of patient data to improve knowledge of different diseases.

AT-HOME EXAMINATION KITS

Remote self-monitoring is growing in popularity, with new devices enabling more convenient healthcare for patients. TytoCare have collaborated with Best Buy to create the TytoHome Medical Exam Kit, which allows patients, their caretakers, or parents to perform physical examinations from home; there is also an app to guide the exam. The data collected from these remote examinations, such as temperature and heart rate, can then be accessed by physicians who will perform a video consultation, providing a diagnosis and treatment plan. This kit provides an on-demand, at-home healthcare system for patients, creating more convenient and easier care options.

EPIWEAR: THE WEARABLE EPIPEN

A team at Rice University are developing a device to remove the need for patients with allergies to carry EpiPens. The device, EpiWear, contains a spring that actives an injection of adrenaline into the patient’s body, and this can be administered at any time. Although this device is still in the prototype stage, the researchers have high hopes for the future of this technology, with the possibility of linking the device with smartwatch technology, or even developing it to be able to detect anaphylactic shock and automatically administer the dose. Wearable devices such as this are offering improved ease-of-use for patients: a key step towards a more patient-centric industry.