This is pretty fantastic. So very many applications for such a technology. Obviously the primary indication for the technology in its current stage of developm

This is pretty fantastic. So very many applications for such a technology. Obviously the primary indication for the technology in its current stage of development, quantifying blood sugar levels, is in and of itself, a large enough market to make this attractive. But this is early stage. Consider the possibilities for the next stages of development: - Advancing the formulation to obviate the need for a "tattoo." The next generation could be a solution simply applied to the skin that would penetrate deeply enough over a short period of time to test blood glucose without the need for a tattoo. The real time, point-of-care diagnostic frontiers, cost reduction, and other factors implied here are phenomenal. - The article mentions glucose, sodium, and oxygen levels in the blood. The "sensor molecules" simply bind to the target molecule or ion and change the fluorescence, providing a reading. Think about the applications for other ions, lipids, amino acids, and even proteins and cytokines using antibodies. Molecular binding assays are prevalent across many, if not most, diagnostic assays. This could have application in such a wide range of indications it boggles the mind. - Combining the testing to assess for multiple diagnoses in the same test. Think of a kind-of multiplex assay (such as an ELISA) in a single unit. iPhone aside (which is an awesome way to do it), think of a single unit that applies 50-100 small droplets of solution on the skin and sends a focused LED for testing each droplet individually (think of a bunch of small capillary straws, instead of the hundreds of needle pricks such as in an allergy test). Glucose for diabetes: check. Sodium for evaluation of electrolyte levels, kidney and adrenal function, cystic fibrosis disease state: check. Bacterial infection (nosocomial infections especially, like MRSA), viral infections, toxin screening, hepatitis, rheumatic disorders, cancer, the list goes on and on... Again, fantastic.