This week, the Health Techzone witnessed some quirky new offerings. Let's review some of the news from this week, which includes computers you can swallow, video games for depression and marijuana from a vending machine.
Do you need some portable medical monitoring for a chronic health condition? Then why not swallow your computer? Thankfully, you won't have to unhinge your jaws like a python and slowly digest your computer over a matter of days. A number of companies, including Proteus Digital Health, have developed pill-sized computers that can be swallowed and left in the digestive tract.
The Proteus pill-sized computer gets electricity from—get this—the interaction of magnesium and copper in its framework with the chemicals in stomach acid. This Little Computer That Could can record whether or not a person has taken medication, when the medication was taken and what types of medication were taken. It can also transmit the information to a remote monitoring device.
So what if the computer in your tummy gets hacked, or your insurance company makes you swallow a computer before issuing your policy? While no one has all of the answers, most organizations are confident that the technology can overcome both legal and security problems.
In other news, a video game called SPARX has been shown to help people recover from depression. The role-playing game features seven different adventures designed to teach players useful strategies for combating depression. These can include adventures in the Volcano Province, which focus on dealing with emotions, or adventures in the Ice Province that focus on increasing physical activity.
In essence, the SPARX game is a form of recreational therapy that helps people with depression to develop new skills and behaviors that improve their quality of life. The technology as received multiple awards and may soon be part of an exclusive licensing deal between LinkedWellness and Auckland UniServices Limited.
Finally, in January 2014, you may be able to get much more than soda and Funyuns from your local vending machine. Endexx Corporation is developing technology that would allow cannabis consumers to purchase marijuana on their iPhone, pick it up at a retail outlet and complete the transaction using a touchscreen vending machine.
Colorado is scheduled to implement marijuana vending machines in 2014, and Washington State is expected to follow suit. Someday, fueling your bong may be easier than finding a Super Big Gulp in New York City.
With that, we wrap up some of this week's more offbeat developments in the Health Techzone. Stop by HealthTechZone every day to get the news on the latest healthcare technology developments.
