The fluorescent smart phone blood panel diagnostic will provide a method for NASA to self monitor key physiological parameters during long flight missions. This will allow flight staff to control their own health and provide information for physicians at home to assess health and advice on courses of action. Converting the technology developed in this proposal to any camera based system will be simple and allow for integration into future hardware.
There are numerous non-NASA applications of a fluorescence based smart phone blood diagnostic. Rapid, mobile, small volume blood diagnostics will provide medical information to healthcare providers that in certain settings have no other means of access. In home health monitoring this technology will allow patients to self monitor key physiological levels and easily communicate with their physicians. Using a smart phone as the base of the system will provide healthcare providers in resource poor settings, such as third world countries, remote regions, or at forward points on the battlefield, with valuable information on the patients they are treating. This proposed system will significantly alter access to important health parameters to enhance healthcare and reduce healthcare costs.
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