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theranos

Theranos has a great idea. Prick your finger, put a tiny amount of blood in a nanotainer and mail it off. The “Edison” technology is utilized to run a bunch of blood tests at one of their two labs. Results show up in their app.

Theranos was able to come in at a fifth the price of it’s competitors, but had some accuracy issues. Having inaccurate blood test data has turned out to be a serious issue for Theranos. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) began a federal investigation in late 2015. The founder Elizabeth Holmes is under criminal investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Securities and Exchange Commission for defrauding investors.

As DIY hardware developers we can probably all understand that the accuracy of low cost sensors will have limitations, but can provide a great deal of useful data. Stepping up from the amateur to the professional level monitoring is a difficult transition. My hope is that the time of easy at home blood-testing is nearing. Theranos might have fast tracked their process a bit too much.  I personally would love to have weekly blood tests just to dial-in dietary issues  for maximum performance.

Sources:

Forbes

Wall Street Journal

Fast Company

OmicsHelpDesk