In remote corners of the world, medical diagnostics are difficult tasks. Now a new kit that runs off a smartphone is bringing medicine to often overlooked regions.
Peek is a new device developed by a team of researchers at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. And honestly, it looks like an early prototype of a tricorder from Star Trek.
Peek is an eye-testing system that consist of a single piece of hardware that plugs into the data port of a smartphone. This portable opthamologist’s office can test for acuity, contrast sensitivity, cataracts, image grading and a number of other conditions.
And while medical testing in remote areas is great, delivering the correct treatment would be even better. To facilitate this process, Peek also geo-tags each patient’s home in Google Maps. With that information, distant doctors can prescribe a course of action for local physicians to administer.
The Peek system is currently undergoing trials in a 5,000 person region of Kenya. If all goes according to plan the Peek system could prove to be the first step towards a true medical tricorder.
