14 DAY TRIAL // What’s Google’s new project, you wonder? Well, how about detecting whether you have a risk to develop cancer?
That sounds like something so far from what Google normally does, but it’s not exactly the first time that Google has mixed technology with healthcare, such as when putting together the smart contact lenses that can keep track of blood sugar levels for diabetics.
This new endeavor, however, involves nanoparticles embedded in people’s bloodstreams that could help detect diseases like cancer.
Andrew Conrad, Life Sciences chief at Google X, reveals that the goal behind the project it to develop a system that doctors can rely on for all tests. The nanoparticles would come from a pill, which, once swallowed, would release them to bind into cells in people’s bodies. From there on, they can scan for irregularities and a wearable device can then collect data from the particles and report it to the doctors.
During the WSJD Live conference, Conrad explained that the nanoparticles are less than one-thousandth the width of a red blood cell. They’re supposed to play a big role in early detection and warning against cancer and other diseases, which would make treating people that much easier.
“Every test you ever go to the doctor for will be done through this system. That is our dream,” said Conrad.
Even though these plans are all set, they’re about five years away from making this a reality. Industry experts say that there are huge challenges ahead of them. Aside from the technical side of things, there’s also the social issue since it’s unlikely for people to jump at the occasion to swallow such a pill, regardless of the benefits.
There’s also the issue that Google doesn’t yet know how many nanoparticles they’d need for the system to work. The wearable device Google would need to build to read the findings of the nanoparticles inside the bloodstream needs to be small enough to not annoy people, but big enough to accommodate a battery that doesn’t need frequent recharging.
Close link to Google may be a disadvantage
The fact that this is Google we’re talking about makes things that much more difficult. People are already complaining that the Internet giant is everywhere, getting involved in a bunch of domains that deviate from the main coarse the company has been on for years.
The notion that Google could be involved in monitoring a human body 24/7 will worry quite a large number of people, although pretty much the same thing can be said regardless of the company behind the project simply because people are leery of technology becoming such an integrated part of our lives.
Dr. Conrad said that Google wouldn’t be a part of collecting or storing any medical data itself, with the company planning to license the technology to others who will handle the information and its security. This in itself should help temper down the reaction of many people leery of Google.
The Google X labs have been involved in a range of projects, including the driverless cars, the Internet-delivering high-altitude balloons and even Google Glass, to name just a few.