Many individuals want to be able to read, but their main obstacle is sight impairment, so the Fluid Interfaces Group at MIT's Media Lab has come up with a way to help solve this problem by creating the FingerReader.


"The wearable tech revolution is in full swing and this ring is the latest in wearable innovations. This ring will scan the words on the page in front of it and read them aloud for the wearer" (TrendHunter Tech). The process is quite simple. The FingerReader scans a line in front of the reader's finger, where the scanned line is then read out loud. When the ring is finished reading a line, it alerts the reader to move to the next line. This topic helps tie in to Biology, due to it intertwining with sight impairment, which is caused by defects in genes and chromosomes, as well as English, where this advance helps individuals read and interpret a book.

Day by day, as technology becomes more detail-oriented and helps citizens of all kinds, I become awestruck at how innovations help perfect the world in every way they can. It is very difficult for someone who is blind to associate with their peers in a discussion over a book that hasn't been published in braille yet. One of my friends is blind, and that is one of the main obstacles that helps lose her confidence and wears her down. I would feel absolutely horrific if I couldn't read very famous and my favorite books simply because I am blind. This invention takes reading to a whole, new level. Although it is quite slow and chops many words, it's a start. I am sure it will advance and perfect over time. It's a step for people to not feel like they are outcasts. Intrigued by such a device, I hope everyone with sight impairment is knowledgeable about this contraption because it is definitely something to take into consideration.


Baxter, Michael. "Text-Analyzing Assistance Rings." TrendHunter Tech. 19 Feb. 2014. Web. 7 Dec. 
         2014. http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/disability-ring

Couples want to start a family, but they can't conceive because of infertility, so they are contemplating over the option of human cloning.

CBS News Health Correspondent Dr. Emily Senay reports scientists are now fast approaching the day that human cloning will be possible, but several states have already banned human cloning because there are ethical questions about cloning humans. "It is estimated there are 12 million infertile Americans" (CBSNews.com Staff CBS News). The majority can't be helped to have a baby that is biologically theirs, so some say cloning would be an alternative to this issue. Anne and Bob tried in vitro fertilization-a complex series of procedures used to treat fertility or genetic problems and assist with the conception of a child, where mature eggs are collected from your ovaries and fertilized by sperm in a lab-to conceive a child. Anne had a miscarriage, and they were distressed. Doctors then told them the heartbreaking news that they would never have their own children. "It's worse than losing a child. It's loosing all your children," Bob said. "It's realizing that you can't ever have children and that's a horrible thought."  The couple has considered adoption but can't let go of the willingness to have their own biological children. "I would like to be able to consider cloning as an option if it technically works," states Bob. However, in California, where Anne and Bob live, cloning is illegal. Last January the sate banned cloning, saying it raised such profound medical, ethical, and social questions, and more evaluation would be needed before a policy could be developed. "Cloning is a question ethicists and scientists are debating." Some say a clone would suffer psychologically because it would know in great detail many things about its life: what it would look like, what kind of genetic diseases it would suffer, and maybe its intellectual capabilities. "Some feel that knowledge would be difficult for an individual to handle." This topic can pertain to Biology, as it deals with human life and AP Human Geography, due to states all over the country making cloning illegal after the topic has diffused around the world.

I understand couples' desires to want to raise and start a family; however, human cloning seems questionable to me. Let's think about it. We all have heard the saying, "There is no one like you, which makes you special." In contrast, cloning would make you the same exact person as your carrier. Cloning, to me, goes against the natural ways, where humans enjoy producing a new child, that is alike, but in so many ways different from themselves. Adoption seems more suitable because you're raising a child, where you don't know its desires and capabilities. The most joyous part of having a child is learning about him or her as they grow and mature into adults. Adoption seems like a win-win. The child now has parents that love and takes care of them, and the parents can now start and raise a family. My mom works at the DFCS office, and there are days when she is overwhelmed and distraught about why and how certain, innocent children were taken up for adoption. I comprehend the perception of wanting to have a biological child because they feel that they can truly call the child as their own. Also, doctors are not always right. My aunt was told that she would never be able to have a baby, but she is pregnant at this very minute. Cloning can cause defects as well. Certain organs won't construct in their whole form, or they will not function properly. In my opinion, I feel that cloning is not the way to go. It will help couples and their desire to produce their own child, but in the end, it is not the most suitable option. How do you feel about cloning? Take the poll to your left.

CBSNews.com Staff. "Cloning for Infertile Couples?" CBS News. 22 July 1998. Web. 16 Nov. 2014.
         http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cloning-for-infertile-couples/

This video intrigued me and gave a whole, different understanding of human cloning. I hope it baffles and entertains you as well. 

Arthur Queval's, Qloudlab's CEO, father had a stroke, but there wasn't a concentration of technology in smartphones/tablets that could be useful for medical applications, so he came up with the idea to turn the electric field generated by the touchscreen to perform blood diagnostic testing.

"A diagnostic tool that uses a smartphone screen to perform blood tests has been developed by a microengineering laboratory at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL)," (Solon wired.co.uk). Within minutes, this tool has been developed and modified to ensure at-home blood analysis for people experiencing anticoagulant treatment. People are treated with anticoagulants to prevent blood clots from forming in arteries or veins. Blocked arteries stop oxygen from accessing a specific part of the body and can lead to a stroke or a heart attack of pulmonary embolism. Pulmonary embolism is a common and potentially deadly disease that occurs when veins become blocked. When patients are taking anticoagulants, they need their blood flow to be regularly monitored, which usually occurs in a hospital; however, this new system can produce test results using a smartphone screen, meaning that patients won't have to travel to a hospital as often. The latest prototype uses a Samsung Galaxy S4, but Queval is self-assured that the team can assemble the system on other models. A drop of blood enters the film through a capillary action, which is the tendency for a liquid to rise and fall as a result of surface tension. It then comes into contact with a molecule that makes the blood coagulate-thicken. An app on the phone taps into the capacitive field on the screen to observe disruptions. Changes in the field produced by the path of the blood in the film can be analysed to produce results. The object is to see that the patient with thinned blood isn't at an increased risk of bleeding. This system is also modified to test for other blood-presenting conditions, such as looking for blood glucose levels in diabetics. This technological advance can correlate with biology, as it twines with blood and organs of the human body, and also AP Human Geography, due to the team wanting to commercialize the product by 2015 in order to diffuse the contraption throughout the world.

As people are experiencing circulation-mobility that occurs on a daily basis-there is hardly enough time to check in at a hospital and receive a check-up. This breakthrough makes it highly convenient. In the modern world, you can access just about everything through your smartphone: your alarm system, bank, fitness level, the internet, time, a camera, and now your blood levels. I can certainly tell you that there is not enough hours in the day for me accomplish every task I need to acquire. A trip to the hospital just makes the objective even harder to accomplish. I am not surprised at all that people can now access their present blood level using their smartphone. Nowadays, people ask the question, "What can your smartphone not do?" Technology is advancing day by day, and a simple app can now solve many problems. I have a grandfather who is undertaking diabetes, and he has to proceed through check-ups of his blood levels. There are times when this is highly inconvenient, and he is retired, so I would imagine it is onerous for a middle-aged, working citizen to find time to go to the hospital. Not to mention the waiting time is quite long. This new feature can also help someone through a time in need. Many people develop strokes or certain diseases because they do not survey their health level. That's how Arthur Queval's father died, which inspired him to make this app. This new system can help prevent an occurence like this, and I am forever grateful for that because this could be a commodity that helps save my parents or another family member one day. Arthur is making a change that enhances the world day by day, and I hope that I can do my part in the world by saving someone day by day. I can not wait to see what's in store when I start to work in the medical field.

Solon, Olivia. "Perform blood tests with your smartphone screen." Wired.Co.Uk. 17 March 2014.
         Web. 2 Nov. 2014. http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2014-03/17/smartphone-blood-test

John A. Rogers of Illinois and Yonggang Huang of Northwestern University wanted to design a device that monitors human health 24/7, but they didn't want it to interfere with a person's daily activities, so they created stick-on electronic patches. Click for video here.

It's remarkable to see medical technology advance. This stick-on patch makes it accessible to do your fitness training without a problem. Being an athlete, I do practice outside of school in order to ensure I do better and not slack off. It is a hassle to type in my phone all the activities I'm doing to try to get an estimate while I'm training. These stick-on patches are also more accurate than any other devices. I like the idea because when I just type a few things into my phone, I'm always filled with uncertainty due to everyone being different, and that is not something your phone can pinpoint out. Everyone likes an easy and not complicated device. All you have to do is stick the patch on your body, and it does the rest of the work for you, making it efficient. Time is precious, and I love the idea of only having to do just one, simple action in order to determine my fitness level. These patches can also exhibit your health concerns. We all care about our health, so even if you're not an athlete, this is something that can be useful to you because you can check your health and evaluate a certain disease. I believe everyone should have an opportunity to accept this wonderful contraption, and the thought of it being not as expensive sounds pleasing because I would love to have a stick-on patch. It would definitely distinguish concerns and ensure that you are healthy and fit.

                                                                                   

"Off the shelf, on the skin: Stick-on electronic patches for health monitoring (w/ video)." Phys.org. 3
         April 2014. Web. 19 Oct. 2014

Four individuals wanted to use systems of their body again, but they were paralyzed due to certain situations, so scientists and professors have created an epidural implant.   Click to watch video

It's truly astounding to compete against the "impossible." These four brokenhearted individuals assumed like the rest of the paralyzed population that they would never be able to function like a normal human being again. "The belief that no recovery is possible and complete paralysis is permanent has been challenged," states Susan Harkema, "one of the University of Louisville professors behind the breakthrough (Clark wired.co.uk). And so it has. Each of the four men received an epidural implant-an innovation that mimics brain signals. This invention is a biologic advance that the creators hope to spread and teach globally; therefore, it is incorporated into geography and biology. Our generation is slowly and gradually producing and maintaining technological advances that challenges and cures certain conditions and can help restore what most humans obtain for granted. Thanks to this intellectual breakthrough, humans can now work and use parts of their body and systems in order to fully react to and assist certain situations.

I believe it's truly remarkable to know that once so-called permanent damage can have a cure or alternative method. It brings hope to individuals who have an abundance of uncertainty of achieving a task that they could once do, and generations in the future can conquer life threatening problems due to advanced and growing technology. I honestly can't believe that occurrences such as paralysis can be cured. It's grateful to know that people are trying to help those in need, and I can not wait to see what's in store in the near future. I have a few family friends who can not achieve a task they desire to do because of paralysis, so I hope this becomes economical and clinics and hospitals can have access to it because I believe that not being able to move a certain part of your body is one of the hardest things to bear.

Clark, Liat. "Electrical implants let paralysed patients stand again." Wired.Co.UK. Web. 27 Sept.
         2014. http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2014-04/08/paralysis-walk-again.

Welcome to my blog. This blog is situated here for the purpose of Healthcare Science lovers to become united and express our opinions and statements around this wonderful topic so called Healthcare Science.