Imagine if give physician a undivided drop of semen was all it direct to keep you intelligent . Your ambition could soon become a reality , as the Pentagon pushes for every virile soldier to contain his health , quite literally , in the palm tree of his hand .
In asolicitationreleased last week , Darpa , the Pentagon ’s far - out research office , is ask for engineering that ’d substitute well old symptomatic standbys – a ampule of blood or cup of piss , for example – with “ a portable format ” that ’s about the size and weight of a deferred payment batting order . The initiative is one part of the federal agency ’s $ 25 millionAutonomous Diagnostics to Enable Prevention and Therapeutics(ADEPT ) program , thataims to allow for soldierswith regular “ on - demand ” health aid . Basically , Darpa want diagnosis and treatment that troops can administer themselves , instead of relying on medics or waiting to make it to a fighting infirmary . This is the first of the programme ’s undertakings , but Darpa also project to invest in quickie diagnostic mental testing and on - the - go immunity boosters .
It might be the first phase of a bigger project , but Darpa ’s initiative is scarce going to be an easy undertaking . flop now , biospecimens like urine or semen are collect and stored in relatively large sample sizes and in sterile conditions . Not to mention that collecting most sample requires lab technicians and other prepare experts ( or , at the very least , a generous stack of specialty magazines ) . These variety of logistical limitations are a major trouble for military health care – especially when sickness affect somewhere remote .
Darpa ’s air pocket - sized biospecimen gizmos would modernise the entire process . A soldier would accumulate his or her own biospecimen , which evoke that semen , water , fuzz or saliva would be premier competitor for the project . Then he or she would rub it onto a bill of fare that “ allows stable shipment to a distant site for analysis … with minimal degradation of biomarker integrity . ” The collection does n’t name any fancy uploading or data contagion abilities , so presumably Darpa , for all its high - tech ambitiousness , imagines the specimen card shipped off to labs through the old - fashioned mail .
Still , the carte du jour could offer valuable insight into the wellness of soldier . spit tests can name hormonal imbalances and thyroid problems , for instance , and a plash of semen can show elevated white blood cell levels that signal transmission . Not to mention that research worker are rapidly make water inroad into using simple-minded biospecimen tests for a multitude of other diagnoses , fromcancertobrain trauma .
Depending on the specimens the card is design to collect , Darpa wants research worker to figure out how that sampling could stay unfertile “ under consideration that are lacking of exponent , temperature dominance or other remark . ” dry out line of descent spot ( DBS ) lineup , which are often used in developing res publica to test for Vitamin D deficiency or baby HIV , are the closest existing technology to Darpa ’s finish . But even decades after their development , the cards persist gravely blemished : parentage specimens can only be keep at certain temperatures , the wag are susceptible to contamination and , of course , sample distribution command a needle prick .
Obviously , Darpa - fund scientist will have their work swerve out for them . But if successful , the project could do more than just make diagnosing anything , anywhere , a possibility for soldiers and civilians . Darpa hopes to improve handling , by permit medico to remotely traverse a patient ’s response to medication , and clinical trials , by giving researchers access to specimen train from soldier in scrap . Not to mention that for some illnesses , and at least where manlike soldiers are refer , there ’s also the prospect of a little extra stress ministration .
Photo : U.S. Air Force
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