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I had the opportunity to speak to the head of this project Andrew Conrad at length. https://medium.com/backchannel/were-hoping-to-build-the-tricorder-12e1822e5

by steven 12y ago

I had the opportunity to speak to the head of this project Andrew Conrad at length. https://medium.com/backchannel/were-hoping-to-build-the-tricorder-12e1822e5e6a https://medium.com/backchannel/were-hoping-to-build-the-tric... What struck me was his optimism that this was really going to happen. Usually researchers are ultra cautious about going out on a limb like that (Yes, he said there was much to do, but read the interview to get his tone.) I think that comes from working at a place like Google X that encourages the big reach.

drcode 12y ago
I think many people who have been seriously involved in medicine will tell you that there's many low hanging fruit in medicine that are being missed because misaligned incentive structures in the health care sector- This project sounds like a possible example of this. We can only hope that a few well-capitalized companies like Google can have the vision to see these low hanging fruit, and will be able to bear the near-term risks and costs and take some difficult steps to reap some significant profits over a longer term.
JoeH 12y ago
I was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor less than a year ago. It is a tumor that has been growing inside me for at least 5 years. Had it been correctly detected/diagnosed 5 years ago, it would have been an operable tumor with a high chance of a cure rate. Unfortunately, now that tumor is currently non-operable. Current cancer screening guidelines aren't sufficient and in almost all cases they utterly fail in the early detection of cancers for people under the age of 50. I applaud anyone working towards a better method for early detection!
- mattfrommars 12y ago
  Stay strong. I use your application as well, rescuetimer. I really like the logging it does. Can you tell me if it is written in C++ or is it mostly and mixed with other languages as well?
- kendalk 12y ago
  I am so sorry to hear that! My mother, also, was found with a tumor that we didn't know about for a long time. She fought as long as she could. She never gave up hope. Doctors don't know everything. There are ways to fight, even natural ones. Fighting with anything is better than giving up. Hope is very powerful. Don't give up. Keep fighting. Best wishes to you from one who has walked this road with another.
- mailshanx 12y ago
  Very sad to hear that. Really hoping for the best possible outcomes.
dekhn 12y ago
It was a great interview. Andy has the enviable position of having successfully delivered many medical devices through the regulatory process, which makes him very valuable to Google- momentum, to get biomedical projects to the point where they are deployed at scale, is a rare thing. The nature of biomedicine and the regulatory process means that the people who are most likely to succeed have big ambitions, work hard, are very smart, and wise, and large ability to ignore the fact something appears impossible. I was skeptical this will truly revolutionze discovery and treatment of cancer, but I suspect it will at least push the needle a bit- in cancer, many late stage drugs are valued for extending life by a few months. A few months-- at hundreds of thousands of dollar costs! It's great that X has committed to funding this, and populating it with lots of talented engineers and I hope they make a positive impact with a limited budget.
pinaceae 12y ago
would be great if they actually released anything as a real product though. what ever happened to the contact lenses for diabetics? as of now, google x is all talk. a success in biotech is measured in its approval by the FDA - until then it is just paper.

by steven 12y ago

drcode 12y ago

I think many people who have been seriously involved in medicine will tell you that there's many low hanging fruit in medicine that are being missed because misaligned incentive structures in the health care sector- This project sounds like a possible example of this. We can only hope that a few well-capitalized companies like Google can have the vision to see these low hanging fruit, and will be able to bear the near-term risks and costs and take some difficult steps to reap some significant profits over a longer term.

JoeH 12y ago

I was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor less than a year ago. It is a tumor that has been growing inside me for at least 5 years. Had it been correctly detected/diagnosed 5 years ago, it would have been an operable tumor with a high chance of a cure rate. Unfortunately, now that tumor is currently non-operable. Current cancer screening guidelines aren't sufficient and in almost all cases they utterly fail in the early detection of cancers for people under the age of 50. I applaud anyone working towards a better method for early detection!

mattfrommars 12y ago
Stay strong. I use your application as well, rescuetimer. I really like the logging it does. Can you tell me if it is written in C++ or is it mostly and mixed with other languages as well?
kendalk 12y ago
I am so sorry to hear that! My mother, also, was found with a tumor that we didn't know about for a long time. She fought as long as she could. She never gave up hope. Doctors don't know everything. There are ways to fight, even natural ones. Fighting with anything is better than giving up. Hope is very powerful. Don't give up. Keep fighting. Best wishes to you from one who has walked this road with another.
mailshanx 12y ago
Very sad to hear that. Really hoping for the best possible outcomes.

dekhn 12y ago

It was a great interview. Andy has the enviable position of having successfully delivered many medical devices through the regulatory process, which makes him very valuable to Google- momentum, to get biomedical projects to the point where they are deployed at scale, is a rare thing. The nature of biomedicine and the regulatory process means that the people who are most likely to succeed have big ambitions, work hard, are very smart, and wise, and large ability to ignore the fact something appears impossible. I was skeptical this will truly revolutionze discovery and treatment of cancer, but I suspect it will at least push the needle a bit- in cancer, many late stage drugs are valued for extending life by a few months. A few months-- at hundreds of thousands of dollar costs! It's great that X has committed to funding this, and populating it with lots of talented engineers and I hope they make a positive impact with a limited budget.

pinaceae 12y ago

would be great if they actually released anything as a real product though. what ever happened to the contact lenses for diabetics? as of now, google x is all talk. a success in biotech is measured in its approval by the FDA - until then it is just paper.