As smartphones and similar devises have become ubiquitous in our society, they present a unique and unforeseen opportunity for telemedicine, remote monitoring and the empowerment of individuals to engage and better manage their own health. These devises are, in essence, handheld computers that can access several sensors and sources that are similar/analogous to components used in current and emerging optical medical devices. However, relative to these medical devices, smartphone components are limited in performance and range as they were optimised for other tasks uses.
This micro-module will introduce students to several optical methods employed (or emerging) in medical screening and monitoring and how these principles “could be” implemented using or modifying smartphone technologies currently available. These techniques and concepts will be approached at a general (empirical) level, consistent with the students´ current competence and diverse discipline backgrounds.
Also, ethical questions will be discussed, such as whether the consequences of reducing costs and increasing access to these techniques can meet these actual needs and demands of all individuals in the greater society. The challenge for the students is to develop a basic understanding and vocabulary to describe how this may be achieved and whether these devices are “good enough” to make a positive impact.
The popular science orientation makes the micro-module useful for students of not only technical but also humanistic disciplines. Supplemental materials will also be provided for more advanced students to explore independently beyond the scope of this generalised micro-module offering.
The following topics are covered:
- How light can be used to access both tissue function and structure in the context of detecting disease and/or monitor health in a broad population.
- The principles of operation of technologies within smartphones and smart devices, including discussions on what tasks they have been optimized and how that can differ from the needs of a medical device.
- The challenges and ethical considerations when developing a medical device that would perform equivalently across a diverse population, ranging over different skin pigmentations, ages, obesity, health status, genders, etc
