A Patent Application Published at WIPO today from Google, with the name Nanoparticle Phoresis by inventor Conrad Andrew Jason.
The patent’s description begins by telling us how this wearable device would work:
A wearable device can automatically modify or destroy one or more targets in the blood that have an adverse health effect by transmitting energy into subsurface vasculature proximate to the wearable device. The targets could be any substances or objects that, when present in the blood, or present at a particular concentration or range of concentrations, may affect a medical condition or the health of the person wearing the device. For example, the targets could include enzymes, hormones, proteins, cells or other molecules. Modifying or destroying the targets could include causing any physical or chemical change in the targets such that the ability of the targets to cause the adverse health effect is reduced or eliminated.
Research Developed at Purdue University announced a couple of years ago describe how such an approach could target a malady such as cancer: Nanoparticles, ‘pH phoresis’ could improve cancer drug delivery
Dr. Jason is listed as a project Manager at Google X and the Wall Street Journal reported upon a nanotechnology approach to fighting cancer by Google X in late October in the article Google’s Newest Search: Cancer Cells That article calls the nanotechnology likely to be more than five years away from being developed, yet the patent points to some good headway having been made upon it.
The patent provides a considerable amount of details on how this wearable device could be used to monitor health and be used in medical studies in conjunction with many wearers of such devices, and could be used to fight off targeted particles in a person’s blood stream.
This doesn’t have much to do with SEO or Search, but it does have a lot to do with the kind of Technology being developed at Google’s moonshot research facility Google X, which appears wide ranging.
Google is the leading company in Information technology. I hope their new invention will help us more and more effectively.
Cool stuff, Bill!
This is great is so many ways for Google. This is very similar in nature to the use of contact lenses for diabetics they have worked on.
Think how far reaching this is:
1) Google gets gov grants to produce this technology instead of having to from their own cash
2) Selling medical equipment is super lucrative (or licensing others to utilize their tech)
3) The public loves you because you make their life better
4) You take the already developed and tested device and find other, broader uses for it and sell it to the public on the shelves of Walgreens.
Hi Allyn. There are a number of advantages for Google to have pursued this, as you’ve listed. This wearable can be used to identify multiple medical conditions.
Thanks, Geoff
Bill, I suspect this technology is going to be the biggest game changer in the history of medical science and if Conard manages to pull this off, he is going to be the natural contender for the Nobel prize. Way to go Google!
Hi Cathy
It is pretty incredible – we will see how it pans out.
Hi Ryan,
It does sound pretty amazing, doesn’t it? I think that’s how it fits in – in its innovation, and positive nature.
Wow! Let’s hope this proves to be successful and if it’s not let’s hope Google continues to innovate in similar ways.
Call me crazy but why does using ‘energy’ to zap things in my bloodstream sound like it would have many many unforseen, unanticipated, or even negative consequences. To which im sure we will have to develop another device or modified behaviour to mitigate. Is there any way to achive these positive effects by food or behavioural effort??
Hi nut job.
Hopefully whatever is developed will have lots of documentation and study supporting it. It’s likely that bodies like the FDA will be involved as well.
“Don’t be evil”
Do you think Google will end up being our best chance at progressing as a species. Seems like they’re interested in doing real good (for money of course).