trek tech, cellphones, gadgets, health, medical scanners, medicine, star trek, tricorder

"Real" Star Trek Tricorder Invented

If you ever watched an episode of Star Trek and wondered when we were going to finally get our hands on some cool medical gadgets like the tricorder, you will be happy to know that a primitive version already exists. Researchers knew that current medical scanners were too bulky and expensive to reach their full potential. So, in order to remedy the situation, they developed a simple portable scanner that can be plugged into a standard cellphone. The phones would send the raw data to remote processors, which would interpret that data and relay it as a image that is viewable on the cellphone screen.

The result is a medical scanner that is ultra-portable and inexpensive enough to make an impact in developing countries. Tests have also determined that the amount of data sent should not prove problematic for the system. In fact, the size of the data in a recent study amounted to less than 6 kilobytes. That having been said, the researchers behind the project hope to go a step further and couple ultrasound scanners with cellphones, which could potentially reduce the cost of a typical $70,000 machine to $1000 or less. Ultrasounds for everyone! [LiveScience]

7:30 PM on Wed Apr 30 2008
By Sean Fallon
5,550 views
14 comments

Comments

ripfire4 at 07:42 PM on 04/30/08
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Dammit Jim! It's on Windows Mobile; not the iPhone!
Cordfucious at 07:56 PM on 04/30/08
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@ripfire4: you know Bones...its not cool to be a tool of the Jobs.

Computer...beam this sheeple to the F** out of my face
DeadWriter at 07:59 PM on 04/30/08
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Connectedness Index: 50
Brought to you by Acura TSX

Doctor - I've got good news and bad news.
Patient - What's the bad news?
Doctor - You have space harpies.
Patient - What's the good news?
Doctor - I don't.
DeadWriter at 08:02 PM on 04/30/08
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Connectedness Index: 50
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Instructions:
Step 1 : Remove unit from case.
Step 2 : Turn unit on.
Step 3 : Insert health care card. (Optional)
Step 4 : Insert credit card.
Step 5 : Wait for authorization.
Cordfucious at 08:10 PM on 04/30/08
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@DeadWriter: Messasge: Your insurance has declined your service. Please insert ARM or LEG. Call customer service if further help is needed
Kaiser-Machead at 08:10 PM on 04/30/08
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Connectedness Index: 287
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According to this, you have a big black spot in your brain! Congratulations! You're pregnant! Goodbye everybody!
TonyTriple at 08:42 PM on 04/30/08
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The downside? The damn thing only works with Memory Stick Pro Duo. EULA doesn't allow for "personal scanning". Only compatible with Comcast wireless.
Shai at 09:55 PM on 04/30/08
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Is that a boob?
Klappstuhl at 07:49 AM on 05/01/08
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@Shai: It's a Moob. Be afraid.
rraszews at 10:24 AM on 05/01/08
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The phrase "Stone knives and bearskins" comes to mind.
Daimyo Nintendo at 12:34 PM on 05/01/08
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Actually a real tricorder was already invented years ago, the TR-107 TRICORDER Mark 1 by Vital Technologies Corporation a Canadian company.

[www.stim.com]

Yea that's right we Canadians built the first WORKING tricorder. Another reason why us Canadians rock the box and rock it hard. Dont forget we Canadians also invented time zones, acrylics, basketball, as well as a slew of other things, lol and since we are smarter then Americans it only seems natural that we invent and built the first working tricorder as well.

Check out some other things Canadians invented at the website below.

[www3.sympatico.ca]

Being arrogant Americans you probably had no idea Canadians invented these things and simply assumed American invented them. Since few Americans know anything about the planet Earth outside U.S.A's precious boarders, I am not surprised. Hey America, can you point to Estonia on the world map?? Yea..I thought so, you cant.

Dont forget Star Trek uses Kilometer in the TV show not miles. The Imperial system is wack and the Metric system is where its at. I guess Americans have not heard of the International System of Units. You think your so great you don't have to adopt the system.
diverguy at 01:20 PM on 05/01/08
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Yeah.. this is old news. As Daimyo mentioned, a Canadian company developed the real thing years ago.
iridius at 02:19 PM on 05/01/08
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About 10 years ago there was a tricorder about the size of one of those briefcase, the metals ones, that some business men carry around, that could actually analyze water samples from a distance, among other things. Whatever happened to that?
chaoslink at 03:49 PM on 05/01/08
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@Daimyo Nintendo: Wow, somebody's got issues. Overcompensating much?

Seriously - I'm not foolish enough to think that Americans are not generally ignorant of other foreign matters, but I always have to chuckle when someone from another country is arrogant enough to assume they understand us so well that they can claim superiority.