Many devices like smartwatches and pedometers have already made their place as accessories to iOS devices. However, a new technology company Cue plans to go far beyond others by offering molecular level testing of organic samples.
Introduction
The four years of hard work by Cue resulted into a wonderful small device that can do many medical tests in the simplest way. Earlier one couldn’t get these tests done without a medical laboratory.
Cue health tracker consists of biosensors and microfluidic system which get digital information from biological samples. Then the information is processed in the cloud which enables users to track metrics on the iPhone and make lifestyle changes.
History and development
According to company’s CEO and cofounder Ayub Khattak, the outbreak of swine flu in 2009 lead to the idea of Cue. He said, “We noticed that people couldn’t get information whether or not they have swine flu which clearly showed the inefficiency of the system. People would react differently to the situation if they had a small device at home to know the problem.”
That was the turning point for Khattak; he started to explore health devices that could be connected to smartphone especially Apple’s iPhone based on iOS platform. Cue researched the most popular metrics and developed tests with tracking apps.
Cue will be launched in 2015; it will have five different cartridges for molecular level detection of Vitamin D, influenza, fertility, testosterone and inflammation. The metrics in different colors are measured and tracked, and they can be used to monitor progress, find out trends and understand body health changes.
According to Clint Sever, Chief Product Officer and Cue cofounder, 3 years of research and development was focused to fuse two technologies to develop an interesting device. Besides biosensors, microfluidic system enables Cue to utilize small amount of biological sample in the most effective way.
Sever said, “Combining basic lab principles and technology, and making them a device that anyone can use was a great challenge.”
The device
Cue is a small device of rectangular shape made on a modular platform which receives cartridges for molecular level testing. Cue can be taken to anyplace like office or gym or even park; it weighs less than one pound.
How it works?
Different cartridges are used for testing different health problems. The sample is a body fluid like blood, saliva or nasal substance. The biological sample is automatically processed when sample wand and cartridge are present, and the data is sent to the iPhone through Bluetooth 4.0. The app of Cue puts the collected data on Life Feed from where it can shared with others or further categorized according to indicators. The app also uses this information for getting diet and workout suggestions from the cloud.
What it can test?
Cue health tracker will be able to do five different medical tests which are: Fertility, Vitamin-D, Testosterone, Influenza and Inflammation. Fertility test will help one understand his body hormones and estimate the right time for pregnancy. Tracking the level of Vitamin-D helps one stay healthy and lead a balanced life. Knowing the testosterone levels will enable a person to boost his focus, energy and performance. Timely detection of flu can prevent prolonged illness. Tracking CRP (C-reactive protein) improves hearth health, recovery and workout because it is an inflammation marker.
How reliable is this device?
When Cue health tracker was being developed, its data was compared with the laboratory test results of the same samples. However, it is still a health product but a very useful one.
Molecular Level Testing Through iOS is Possible, Thanks to Cue Health Tracker
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