Does Your Cell Phone Plan Come With Unlimited Drug Delivery?
from the dialing-it-in dept
The concept of telemedicine, allowing doctors to offer their services from a distance, has been hyped up for some time, although it has yet to take off in a big way. Now a team of European and Israeli scientists are experimenting with a more direct way of using modern communications technology to deliver medicine: using a cell phone to control a drug-dispensing tooth that can be implanted in a patient's mouth. The invention is aimed at patients who either forget to take their medicine, or just don't like to. Instead, the medicine will already be stored in their mouth, and will be emitted at a regular interval on command from their handsets. Presumably, it could also be used to deliver a drug like morphine, which the patient controls, but is limited in terms of how often it can be taken. Of course, once these start being implanted in patients, you can only imagine the type of conspiracy theories that will arise having to do with pernicious plots between the government, handset makers and dentists to dope us all with mind-altering elixirs.
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by Infested Templar on Apr 6th, 2007 @ 3:21am
Just wait till this story get's linked with the FUD about mobile phone viruses.
Still it wouldn't all be overreaction, the security on each end of this system would have to be extreme, especially if it is used for dangerous drugs like morphine. Just imagine if someone could intercept the signal from the phone to the tooth and crack the encryption (it is encrypted right?) and send alternative instructions. And if they used generic software (eg windows) on the machine that sent the scripts and it got a virus, even one not specifically targeting the dispensing system?
This does seem to have some potential it's just that security problems in critical areas seem all to common, and medical errors in this situation could be hard to detect and rectify so precautions need to be a big part of this system.
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Drug delivery by Prophet on Apr 6th, 2007 @ 3:34am
No it doesnt but i get the damn text messages for viagra on my cell phone all the damn time. and it is just sent to a block of numbers close to mine.
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Can you hear me now? by moe on Apr 6th, 2007 @ 4:40am
So, what happens when you lose the cellular signal?
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We have met the Borg by Nasty Old Geezer on Apr 6th, 2007 @ 4:45am
and they are us. No f-ing way does one of those ever go in my body.
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Re: Can you hear me now? by Ryuichi on Apr 6th, 2007 @ 4:47am
Free drugs, duh?
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hahaha by csin on Apr 6th, 2007 @ 5:45am
This thing is rediculous... how much medicine could a tooth possibly hold? You couldnt fit enough of most meds in there to do anything.
How long till they have viagra dispensing teeth? Want wood? just use your cell phone...lol.
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Re: hahaha by How long on Apr 6th, 2007 @ 6:08am
How long untill a hacker figures out the RFID or what ever signal and makes someone's medicine dispense at lets say in opportune times or quantities.
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by Overcast on Apr 6th, 2007 @ 6:21am
Yes - and soon, the government will control the wonder tooth, and you won't have to worry about a thing at all!!
You know - it's bound to happen at least for some they deem 'unable' to care for themselves. Or because 'it's better for society this way'.
Yes, of course flames will mock me. But then, remember - the Social Security number is never to be used for purposes of identification. And if you trust the government, I can rest in the knowledge that you have far more problems than me anyhow - and that tooth might actually benefit you...
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Forgetful Girlfrieds... by Spork on Apr 6th, 2007 @ 7:22am
I don't know....despite using precations myself, I had a girlfriend that was constantly forgetting and I had to remind to take her birth control. It would've been handy to be able to phone it in - LOL
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Drugs in Cellphones by Shirley on Apr 6th, 2007 @ 7:59am
What were you on! when you wrote this ! Get Real !
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You've got to be kiddin' by Ken Mason on Apr 6th, 2007 @ 9:21am
Ok, first of all if this thing was designed for "forgetful" patients, then exacty how much medicine does this thing hold? I mean at sometime it has to be refilled, I can only imagine that this is not a very big item as it's something that's placed in your mouth. Second of all if it's for someone that's taking life-saving medication and they're "forgetful" then they need to be hospitalized. But then again if I was prescribed a life-saving medicine I would be sure not to forget, it's just that simple.
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Re: Can you hear me now? by JS Beckerist on Apr 6th, 2007 @ 9:50am
@moe: If it's morphine in your tooth, you feel reeeeeeeeeeeally good. :-)
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Simpler method... by John Fenley on Apr 9th, 2007 @ 3:05pm
Phone: Ring Ring
Me: Hello?
Doctor: Take your medicine.
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