Johns Hopkins researchers have developed a “tricorder” that quickly picks up vital signs from a patient’s lips and fingertip.
MouthLab could replace bulky monitors and gather more data during an ambulance, emergency room, doctor’s office or home assessment.
Heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, breathing rate, blood oxygen and a basic ECG are measured. Early signs of emergencies, such as heart attacks, could be detected.
Monitoring by mouth will allow future versions to detect chemical cues in blood, saliva and breath that act as markers for health conditions. According to Professor Gene Fridman: “We envision the detection of a wide range of disorders,from blood glucose levels for diabetics, to kidney failure, to oral, lung and breast cancers.”