The microscope, which costs only around $100 to produce, is so cheap and lightweight, that scientists are hoping to use it in countries with less sophisticated technology. Professor Ozcan believes that "[w]ith just a small amount of training, doctors could use devices like these to improve healthcare in remote areas of the world with little access to diagnostic equipment."
This brand new technology could be extremely valuable in both the domestic and foreign health care markets. Because it is so inexpensive, it could be mass-produced, thereby creating a wider and more sophisticated health care system, spanning the whole globe. A cheaper, more widespread health care system? Uh, yes please. In addition, the portable technology would make it much easier to determine water and food safety in developing countries. Is that not what we've been striving to do in third world countries for years now? This microscope could be just the beginning; with all the new technology being created daily by inventors and entrepreneurs, the possibilities are nearly endless. Who knows, maybe one day the healthcare will be as commonplace as salt.
3 comments:
While a possible and probably beneficial idea, the costs of purchasing / maintaining the microscope as well as the lack of doctors in third world countries could make it hard to implement the "new portable microscope" as a solution to E. Coli. $100 is a substantial amount for any third world country doctor where average earnings per year could be measured in hundreds of dollars. However, doctors that are part of organizations for world health would already have access to such equipment, and possibly better even at higher prices. If these organizations provide $100 microscopes to third world doctors (+ training), it could possibly make these doctors a target for thieves and would also cost the organizations significantly.
I think this new E. Coli detecting microscope is a huge and fantastic advance in technology. Many people every year become very sick due to E. Coli poisoning, and it even kills some people. We are constantly hearing about a new E. Coli outbreak ruining various commonly eaten foods and causing people to become ill. With this new microscope, it will be much easier to detect E. Coli, improving the health of not only people in the U.S. but as Dani mentioned can help with detecting safe water in foreign and third world countries.
Also, I do agree with Kore that because $100 is a large amount of money and many third world countries will not be able to afford this new technology, and I do agree that this could therefore be a threat to doctors as well as organizational funds, yet I believe that overall, because there is such a positive impact in with this new microscope, that possible problem is not significant enough for it to be too much of a worry. Overall, this new E. Coli detecting microscope is a great and significant advancement in our technology.
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