[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":435},["ShallowReactive",2],{"slug-bodily-fluids-as-the-basis-for-digital-health":3},{"post":4,"relatedPosts":192,"relatedBooks":327},{"id":5,"date":6,"date_gmt":7,"guid":8,"modified":10,"modified_gmt":11,"slug":12,"status":13,"type":14,"link":15,"title":16,"content":18,"excerpt":21,"author":23,"featured_media":24,"comment_status":25,"ping_status":25,"sticky":26,"template":27,"format":28,"meta":29,"categories":30,"tags":34,"project_category":50,"contact_email_category":52,"yst_prominent_words":53,"class_list":61,"better_featured_image":87,"acf":119,"yoast_meta":136,"_links":139},23163,"2025-01-20T11:26:39","2025-01-20T10:26:39",{"rendered":9},"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F?post_id=23163&_wpnonce=11b0353aed&status=auto-draft&type=post","2025-01-20T11:26:40","2025-01-20T10:26:40","bodily-fluids-as-the-basis-for-digital-health","publish","post","https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fbodily-fluids-as-the-basis-for-digital-health",{"rendered":17},"Blood, Sweat, Saliva For Digital Health In 7 Ways",{"rendered":19,"protected":20},"\n\u003Cp>Blood, saliva, urine or even sweat can carry valuable information about an individual’s medical state. Until now, even simple tests on such bodily fluids had to be carried out at medical facilities; but with the recent uptick in the development of digital diagnostic technologies, more and more solutions appear on the market that enable the patient to do such tests at home. Here we take a look around the bodily fluid business.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>From bloodletting to digital sweat measurement\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Although they don’t sound appealing, the ancient Greeks already thought that bodily fluids such as blood, bile and phlegm made up the fundamentals of the human body and that diseases only appear when the organism, or rather these liquids lose their balance. This \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nlm.nih.gov\u002Fexhibition\u002Fshakespeare-and-the-four-humors\u002Findex.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">humoral theory\u003C\u002Fa> was central to the teachings of Hippocrates, and it became the dominant theory of medical thinking and practice in Europe \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencemuseum.org.uk\u002Fobjects-and-stories\u002Fmedicine\u002Fblood\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">until the late 1800s\u003C\u002Fa>, which manifested, for example, in the rather \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fdisruptive-digital-technologies-will-change-blood-donation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">barbaric practice of bloodletting\u003C\u002Fa>. Medical professionals believed that letting out “bad blood” would stimulate the body to produce fresh and healthy blood and stop hemorrhages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Modern medicine still bases healing on bodily fluids; but with a more scientific take. Blood, mucus, feces, saliva, semen, sweat, tears, urine, and even ear wax contain valuable information about a person’s health. Physicians use a swarm of tests during diagnosis (e.g., urine tests), therapy (e.g., stool sample culture tests), or monitoring (e.g., blood tests during chemotherapy). With the appearance of digital health technologies, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fposts\u002Fbertalanmesko_have-you-heard-of-tassos-diy-blood-collection-activity-7080842961361510400-61Vy\u002F?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop\" target=\"_blank\">at-home blood collection devices\u003C\u002Fa>, and \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fthe-rise-of-at-home-lab-tests\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">lab tests,\u003C\u002Fa> the collection and analysis of bodily fluids are becoming easier. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2024\u002F01\u002Ftmf_article_397_blood-draw-768x432.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54535\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2024\u002F01\u002Ftmf_article_397_blood-draw-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2024\u002F01\u002Ftmf_article_397_blood-draw-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2024\u002F01\u002Ftmf_article_397_blood-draw-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2024\u002F01\u002Ftmf_article_397_blood-draw-2048x1152.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\u003Cp>In the near future, it’s likely that no one will have to go to the hospital for such tests as patients will become the point of care. In fact, many of the sensing platforms for body-fluid analysis by wearable devices are under development, Dr. Noé Brasier, Project Lead at the Institute for Translational Medicine at ETH Zurich, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.patreon.com\u002Fposts\u002Finterview-about-117760738\" target=\"_blank\">told us\u003C\u002Fa>. Here we collected the best examples of digital technologies changing the experience around bodily fluids.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1) Blood \u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The dream of getting a wide range of diagnostic results from a drop of blood was shattered by the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Ffrom-theranos-to-google-glass-the-biggest-flops-in-digital-health\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Elizabeth Holmes and the Theranos scam\u003C\u002Fa>. Since then, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ffuture\u002Farticle\u002F20230406-the-signs-of-heart-disease-your-phone-can-spot\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">there have been\u003C\u002Fa> some \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.patreon.com\u002Fposts\u002F71639368\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">great developments\u003C\u002Fa>  and blood sample collection is also \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fdiy-blood-draw-could-patients-collect-blood-at-home\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">getting much easier\u003C\u002Fa>. Many companies are working on similar, but \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fwhere-does-blood-testing-stand-today\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">more realistic solutions\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>From a small blood volume, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.genalyte.com\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">Genalyte’s technology\u003C\u002Fa> can run multiple, simultaneous, rapid tests and output a result within 30 minutes. Similarly, from a single blood sample that can potentially be collected at home, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnightingalehealth.com\u002Ftechnology\" target=\"_blank\">Nightingale\u003C\u002Fa> can analyse numerous biomarkers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>A recent development around blood tests leverages menstrual blood. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fqvin.com\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Qvin\u003C\u002Fa> has released Q-Pad, the first and only FDA-cleared menstrual pad that collects menstrual blood samples as an alternative to traditionally collected venous blood draws. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"549\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F09\u002FStanding_Kit_and_QPad-768x549.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-58377\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F09\u002FStanding_Kit_and_QPad-768x549.webp 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F09\u002FStanding_Kit_and_QPad.webp 820w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Source: Qvin\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“The Q-Pad was initially created to identify biomarkers for HPV and has expanded and identified additional biomarkers to test for, including pre\u002Fdiabetes, anemia, fertility, perimenopause, endometriosis, and thyroid health,” Dr. Sara Naseri, the CEO and co-founder of Qvin, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.patreon.com\u002Fposts\u002Fhow-menstrual-is-118279400\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">told us in an interview\u003C\u002Fa>. This approach could further make blood tests more accessible and affordable, while closing the gender gap in healthcare information and access.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2) Feces\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>It is believed that people carry \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fgovernmentscienceandengineering.blog.gov.uk\u002F2022\u002F05\u002F06\u002Fwhat-is-the-gut-microbiota\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">up to 2kg of microbiome\u003C\u002Fa>, which includes bacteria, viruses and fungi, in their intestines. Each individual microbiome is as unique as their fingerprint and carries information about a person’s health – and not only in cases closely related to stomach troubles. The microbiome could even be considered to act like an organ itself, and it’s central to the body’s operations. Researchers \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.lww.com\u002Fpsychosomaticmedicine\u002FAbstract\u002Fpublishahead\u002FBrain_structure_and_response_to_emotional_stimuli.98803.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">found that it can affect\u003C\u002Fa> various aspects such as aging, digestion, the immune system, cognitive functions and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.independent.co.uk\u002Flife-style\u002Fhealth-and-families\u002Fanxiety-and-depression-caused-by-stress-linked-to-gut-bacteria-living-in-intestines-scientists-find-10422303.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">even mood\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1150\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F09\u002F2019_07_26_Probiotics_guts.png\" alt=\"microbiome test\" class=\"wp-image-24655\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F09\u002F2019_07_26_Probiotics_guts.png 2000w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F09\u002F2019_07_26_Probiotics_guts-768x442.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F09\u002F2019_07_26_Probiotics_guts-1536x883.png 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F09\u002F2019_07_26_Probiotics_guts-512x294.png 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\u003Cp>That’s why some companies offer services to make sense of it and advise on how to improve it based on fecal sample analyses. The \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fthryve-microbiome-test-review\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">former Thryve\u003C\u002Fa> has been rebranded as \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ombrelab.com\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">Ombre\u003C\u002Fa> which provides microbiome report and analysis as well as food suggestions based on your bacteria level. Similar services \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.vogue.com\u002Farticle\u002Fat-home-microbiome-test\" target=\"_blank\">are provided\u003C\u002Fa> by companies like \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fzoe.com\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">Zoe\u003C\u002Fa> and \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.viome.com\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">Viome\u003C\u002Fa>; while others, like \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.justice.gov\u002Fusao-ndca\u002Fpr\u002Fubiome-co-founders-charged-federal-securities-health-care-fraud-conspiracies\" target=\"_blank\">uBiome\u003C\u002Fa> and \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fatlas-biomed-microbiome-test-review\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">Atlas Biomed\u003C\u002Fa>, have run out of business. However, experts note that such tests are currently useful as diagnostic tools for \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fwellness\u002Farticle\u002F2024\u002Fjul\u002F05\u002Fwhats-a-gut-microbiome-test\" target=\"_blank\">a limited number of conditions\u003C\u002Fa> and call for \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.thelancet.com\u002Fjournals\u002Flangas\u002Farticle\u002FPIIS2468-1253(24)00163-8\u002Ffulltext\" target=\"_blank\">more regulations\u003C\u002Fa> around their use.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3) Saliva\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The use of saliva is the most widespread tool among the connoisseurs of the latest health solutions. Anyone who has had a direct-to-consumer genetic or genomic test is likely familiar with the procedure: many testing kits, convivially called the spit kit, contain a little tube in which the tester has to collect some saliva, then seal it and send it back to the company. Within weeks, the chosen start-up will present the results. Many of the “oldest” genetic testing companies use saliva tests, like \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ancestry.com\u002Fdna\u002F?_gl=1*1mrkfqk*_ga*MjAxNzY4NjEzNy4xNjk1MjIxNTMz*_up*MQ..*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*YTYzY2YwOGEtZDRkNS00M2NmLWJjY2ItMjNhY2QwYzY3ZGI4LjEuMC4xNjk1MjIxNTMyLjAuMC4w*_ga_LMK6K2LSJH*YTYzY2YwOGEtZDRkNS00M2NmLWJjY2ItMjNhY2QwYzY3ZGI4LjEuMC4xNjk1MjIxNTMyLjAuMC4w\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AncestryDNA,\u003C\u002Fa>  or \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.23andme.com\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">23andMe\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F04\u002Fgene-editing.jpg\" alt=\"tmf\" class=\"wp-image-43425\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F04\u002Fgene-editing.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F04\u002Fgene-editing-370x208.jpg 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\u003Cp>But it’s not only genetic testing that saliva is useful for. Polish start-up \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fsensdx.eu\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SensDx\u003C\u002Fa> has created portable kits to diagnose infections such as the flu quickly and accurately from saliva and mucus samples. Their technology can indicate in minutes whether inflammation or an infection in the throat was caused by a bacterium, virus or fungi. Although the company has been relatively quiet recently, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.thermofisher.com\u002Fblog\u002Flife-in-the-lab\u002Fwhat-is-saliva-and-why-is-it-important-for-diagnostics\u002F#:~:text=Saliva%20testing%20has%20also%20found,than%20serum%20and%20urine%20testing.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">saliva diagnostics\u003C\u002Fa> for sure has great \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.americanscientist.org\u002Farticle\u002Fsalivary-diagnostics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">potential\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4) Semen\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The issue of semen analysis comes up mostly around male infertility. It usually entails a sperm count test, measuring the actual number of sperm, their shape and their movement in semen. Such tests can provide insights into the success of vasectomies or when considering conceiving children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>It is already possible to do \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.verywellhealth.com\u002Fat-home-sperm-test-7151955\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">at-home sperm tests\u003C\u002Fa> and get results \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.healthline.com\u002Fhealth\u002Fsemen-analysis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">as quickly as in 10 minutes\u003C\u002Fa>, instead of taking the test at a healthcare institution. Companies that offer FDA-cleared at-home sperm tests include \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.givelegacy.com\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Legacy\u003C\u002Fa>, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.meetfellow.com\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Fellow\u003C\u002Fa> and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ondemand.labcorp.com\u002Fat-home-test-kits\u002Fmens-rapid-fertility-test\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">LabCorp\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5) Sweat\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Among the most exciting recent developments in bodily fluid analytics is how to make use of the information stored in sweat. Analysing sweat can provide crucial insights not only into our electrolyte balance but also about hormonal cycles and hydration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“One of the most advanced approaches focuses on the assessment of the sweat rate and electrolytes in sweat to monitor a person’s hydration status,” Dr. Noé Brasier \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.patreon.com\u002Fposts\u002Finterview-about-117760738\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">told us\u003C\u002Fa>. “While hydration monitoring can be obviously useful for athletes, our workforces are increasingly exposed to heat stress in a climate changed environment and need adequate hydration management to prevent from significant reduction in work performance, increased risk for injuries, and severe health issues such as heat stroke and even death.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Start-up \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpersperityhealth.com\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Persperity Health\u003C\u002Fa> is working on a wearable to monitor real-time estradiol changes from the swear. Their technology could provide novel, non-invasive means for ovulation tracking, fertility treatments and menopause care. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Also focusing on sweat analysis is \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.epicorebiosystems.com\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Epicore Biosystems\u003C\u002Fa>. Their Gx Sweat Patch helps users, especially athletes, track their hydration levels and provides personalised hydration action plans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6) Tears\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In the past, there were some promising developments in leveraging tears to measure blood glucose levels via tiny sensors in contact lenses. Among the biggest players in this domain was Alphabet’s company, Verily Life Sciences. While this approach seemed feasible, their endeavours were not successful and Verily \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bloomberg.com\u002Fnews\u002Farticles\u002F2018-11-16\u002Falphabet-s-verily-halts-diabetes-detecting-contact-lens-project\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">halted the undertaking\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2017\u002F10\u002FThe-future-of-vision-TMF-768x432.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-44481\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2017\u002F10\u002FThe-future-of-vision-TMF-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2017\u002F10\u002FThe-future-of-vision-TMF-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2017\u002F10\u002FThe-future-of-vision-TMF-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2017\u002F10\u002FThe-future-of-vision-TMF-2048x1152.png 2048w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2017\u002F10\u002FThe-future-of-vision-TMF.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\u003Cp>The company said that the reason for shutting down the initiative was that it couldn’t get the experimental lens to deliver the assessments of blood glucose with enough consistency to be used as a medical device. Progress has been slow in this area but there is the potential for it to be revived in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7) Urine\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>There’s a good reason doctors ask for urine samples at routine checkups or for diagnosing conditions. A simple, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnews.stanford.edu\u002F2016\u002F05\u002F16\u002Fstanford-engineers-design-home-urine-test-scan-diseases\u002F\">color-\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnews.stanford.edu\u002F2016\u002F05\u002F16\u002Fstanford-engineers-design-home-urine-test-scan-diseases\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">c\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnews.stanford.edu\u002F2016\u002F05\u002F16\u002Fstanford-engineers-design-home-urine-test-scan-diseases\u002F\">hanging\u003C\u002Fa> paper test, dipped into the specimen, can measure levels of glucose, blood, protein, and other chemicals. This, in turn, can indicate evidence of kidney disease, diabetes, urinary tract infections, and even signs of bladder cancer. But how much more convenient would it be if patients could do a urine test \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.patreon.com\u002Fposts\u002F79736403\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">in the comfort of their homes\u003C\u002Fa>, instead of bringing samples to the GP’s office or trying to use hospital bathrooms?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Such accessibility to and convenience of urine tests are now a reality. Healthy.io markets FDA-cleared \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhealthy.io\u002Feu\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">home urinalysis kits\u003C\u002Fa>. These allow users to conduct routine urine tests, as well as test for signs of chronic kidney disease and UTIs. Withings is working on a “home urine lab”. Its \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.withings.com\u002Fuk\u002Fen\u002Fu-scan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">U-Scan\u003C\u002Fa> device can be applied to any toilet bowl to analyse urine samples and provide actionable advice. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>And what about catheters and monitoring urine in the hospital? Accuryn has developed \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Faccuryn.com\u002Faccuryn-monitoring-system\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a smart urine monitoring system\u003C\u002Fa>. Their product promises to automate the measurement of urine output, intra-abdominal pressure, and core body temperature to recognize clinical patterns and improve workflow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What’s further on the horizon for bodily fluids in the digital health age?\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>When we look at the data from a bird’s eye view, we can see a general trend: data collection by sensory technology, transmitting the information to a smart device (usually a smartphone) – and then leaving the results for someone to interpret. That’s traditionally the task of the doctor, although these digital devices usually hint at possible explanations as well. Physicians need to be much more open to new technologies and elevate patient-doctor communication to a partnership level. As a tool for doing that, we have launched the \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fask-me-about-digital-badge\" target=\"_blank\">Ask Me About Digital\u003C\u002Fa> campaign to make sure patients know that medical professionals are open to talking about digital technology.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>With further technological progress, we can expect other bodily fluids to serve as vectors for digital health monitoring. For example, while Alphabet’s Verily Life Sciences \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bloomberg.com\u002Fnews\u002Farticles\u002F2018-11-16\u002Falphabet-s-verily-halts-diabetes-detecting-contact-lens-project\">has been abandoned\u003C\u002Fa> its efforts to measure blood glucose levels in tears via smart contact lenses, we could see this approach revived by other companies. Other endeavours might also focus on developing sensors to monitor health metrics at-home from the breath or mucus. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Zooming even further out, in the future we might have a complex system based on artificial intelligence that contains all the data stemming from urine, saliva, blood or any other bodily fluid tests alongside every other relevant diagnostic test from the past. This would be necessary for real long-term monitoring and analysis – but that’s still a bit further down the road.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Written by Dr. Bertalan Meskó & Dr. Pranavsingh Dhunnoo\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ctable style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #eee; border-top: 4px solid #444;\" cellpadding=\"10px\">\n\u003Ctbody>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd style=\"width: 100%;\">\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>At The Medical Futurist, we are building a community for making a bold vision about the future of healthcare reality today.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002FFIbMejImnxs\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\">\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003Cp>If you’d like to support this mission, we invite you to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.patreon.com\u002Fthemedicalfuturist\">join The Medical Futurist Patreon Community\u003C\u002Fa>. A community of empowered patients, future-oriented healthcare professionals, concerned health policymakers, sensible health tech developers, and enthusiastic medical students. If there were ever a time to join us, it is now. Every contribution, however big or small, powers our research and sustains our future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.patreon.com\u002Fthemedicalfuturist\">\u003Cstrong style=\"background-color: #e71d3299; color: #000;\">Click here to support The Medical Futurist from as little as $3\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fa> – it only takes a minute. Thank you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003C\u002Ftbody>\n\u003C\u002Ftable>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n",false,{"rendered":22,"protected":20},"\u003Cp>Unlocking health insights from bodily fluids: from at-home blood tests to diagnosing via sweat, explore how cutting-edge technologies are revolutionizing the way we monitor and understand our health, making hospital visits for simple tests a thing of the past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",6,23170,"closed",true,"","standard",{"_acf_changed":20,"footnotes":27},[31,32,33],521,496,497,[35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49],1036,206,1203,207,1236,246,1252,425,1253,1254,1255,1257,591,669,205,[51],950,[],[54,55,56,57,58,59,60],1883,2877,3281,5013,1571,1617,1723,[62,14,63,64,65,66,67,68,69,70,71,72,73,74,75,76,77,78,79,80,81,82,83,84,85,86],"post-23163","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-future-medicine","category-health-sensors-trackers","category-portable-diagnostics","tag-digital-tattoo","tag-digital","tag-smart","tag-digital-health","tag-smart-healthcare","tag-future","tag-bodily-fluid","tag-technology-2","tag-urine","tag-saliva","tag-sweat","tag-digital-solutions","tag-portable-diagnostics","tag-blood","tag-diagnostics","project_category-medical-professionals",{"id":24,"alt_text":88,"caption":27,"description":27,"media_type":89,"media_details":90,"post":5,"source_url":118},"Bodily fluids","image",{"width":91,"height":92,"file":93,"sizes":94,"image_meta":116},1920,1080,"2019\u002F02\u002F072_bodily_fluids-scaled.png",{"medium":95,"large":101,"thumbnail":106,"medium_large":110,"1536x1536":111},{"file":96,"width":97,"height":98,"mime-type":99,"source_url":100},"072_bodily_fluids-scaled-370x208.png","370","208","image\u002Fpng","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F02\u002F072_bodily_fluids-scaled-370x208.png",{"file":102,"width":103,"height":104,"mime-type":99,"source_url":105},"072_bodily_fluids-scaled-768x432.png","768","432","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F02\u002F072_bodily_fluids-scaled-768x432.png",{"file":107,"width":108,"height":108,"mime-type":99,"source_url":109},"072_bodily_fluids-scaled-150x150.png","150","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F02\u002F072_bodily_fluids-scaled-150x150.png",{"file":102,"width":103,"height":104,"mime-type":99,"source_url":105},{"file":112,"width":113,"height":114,"mime-type":99,"source_url":115},"072_bodily_fluids-scaled-1536x864.png","1536","864","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F02\u002F072_bodily_fluids-scaled-1536x864.png",{"aperture":117,"credit":27,"camera":27,"caption":27,"created_timestamp":117,"copyright":27,"focal_length":117,"iso":117,"shutter_speed":117,"title":27,"orientation":117},"0","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F02\u002F072_bodily_fluids-scaled.png",{"related_posts":20,"related_posts_footer":120,"subtitle":27,"cta_type":124,"cta_color":27,"related_books":125,"key_takeaways":129},[121,122,123],34179,13255,52263,"subscribe",[126,127,128],24765,24761,52203,[130,132,134],{"title":131},"\u003Cp>Bodily fluids like blood, sweat, and saliva are becoming vital diagnostic tools, with new technologies enabling at-home testing and rapid results.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"title":133},"\u003Cp>Digital advancements, from smart patches analyzing sweat to smartphone-integrated urinalysis, are reshaping patient experiences and medical diagnostics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"title":135},"\u003Cp>In this article, we share a collection of how digital health can provide comprehensive, long-term health monitoring using bodily fluid data, with input from researchers and developers of such approaches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"yoast_wpseo_title":137,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":138,"yoast_wpseo_canonical":15},"Blood, Sweat, Saliva For Digital Health In 7 Ways - The Medical Futurist","Bodily fluids can carry valuable information about an individual’s medical state. We collected digital solutions enabling their easier analysis.",{"self":140,"collection":146,"about":149,"author":152,"replies":155,"version-history":158,"predecessor-version":162,"wp:featuredmedia":166,"wp:attachment":169,"wp:term":172,"curies":188},[141],{"href":142,"targetHints":143},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F23163",{"allow":144},[145],"GET",[147],{"href":148},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts",[150],{"href":151},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftypes\u002Fpost",[153],{"embeddable":26,"href":154},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fusers\u002F6",[156],{"embeddable":26,"href":157},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=23163",[159],{"count":160,"href":161},37,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F23163\u002Frevisions",[163],{"id":164,"href":165},58387,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F23163\u002Frevisions\u002F58387",[167],{"embeddable":26,"href":168},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia\u002F23170",[170],{"href":171},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=23163",[173,176,179,182,185],{"taxonomy":174,"embeddable":26,"href":175},"category","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcategories?post=23163",{"taxonomy":177,"embeddable":26,"href":178},"post_tag","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags?post=23163",{"taxonomy":180,"embeddable":26,"href":181},"project_category","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fproject_category?post=23163",{"taxonomy":183,"embeddable":26,"href":184},"contact_email_category","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcontact_email_category?post=23163",{"taxonomy":186,"embeddable":26,"href":187},"yst_prominent_words","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fyst_prominent_words?post=23163",[189],{"name":190,"href":191,"templated":26},"wp","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.w.org\u002F{rel}",[193],{"id":123,"date":194,"date_gmt":195,"guid":196,"modified":198,"modified_gmt":199,"slug":200,"status":13,"type":14,"link":201,"title":202,"content":204,"excerpt":206,"author":23,"featured_media":208,"comment_status":25,"ping_status":25,"sticky":26,"template":27,"format":28,"meta":209,"categories":210,"tags":213,"project_category":220,"contact_email_category":221,"yst_prominent_words":222,"class_list":225,"better_featured_image":235,"acf":267,"yoast_meta":282,"_links":285},"2025-06-21T12:36:22","2025-06-21T10:36:22",{"rendered":197},"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F?post_id=52263&_wpnonce=7971828b65&status=auto-draft&type=post","2025-06-21T12:36:23","2025-06-21T10:36:23","why-it-is-important-to-understand-multimodal-large-language-models-in-healthcare","https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fwhy-it-is-important-to-understand-multimodal-large-language-models-in-healthcare",{"rendered":203},"The Healthcare Vision of ChatGPT-4o and Multimodal LLMs",{"rendered":205,"protected":20},"\n\u003Cp>The future of medicine is \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fthe-chatgpt-revolution-heres-our-new-book-on-generative-ai-in-healthcare\" target=\"_blank\">undoubtedly\u003C\u002Fa> inextricably linked to the development of \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fsearch\u002F?term=AI\" target=\"_blank\">artificial intelligence\u003C\u002Fa> (AI). Although this revolution has been brewing for years, the past few months marked a \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fmedpalm-new-ai-medical-chatbots-will-soon-be-better-than-waiting-for-a-doctor\" target=\"_blank\">major change\u003C\u002Fa>, as algorithms finally moved out \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fchatgpt-in-healthcare-what-the-science-says\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">of the specialized labs \u003C\u002Fa>and \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fgenerative-ai-explained-its-impact-and-future-in-healthcare\" target=\"_blank\">into\u003C\u002Fa> our daily \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fprompt-engineering-11-tips-to-craft-great-chatgpt-prompts\" target=\"_blank\">lives\u003C\u002Fa>. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>This revolution accelerated as major tech companies began rolling out their multimodal large language models, promising they will soon be available to the general public. The latest – and perhaps biggest – hit was the announcement of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fopenai.com\u002Findex\u002Fhello-gpt-4o\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ChatGPT-4o from OpenAI\u003C\u002Fa>. The 4o model is described as “natively multimodal,” a feature also \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fblog.google\u002Ftechnology\u002Fai\u002Fgoogle-gemini-ai\u002F#sundar-note\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">claimed for Google’s Gemini\u003C\u002Fa> at its launch. However, while layman subscribers still lack access to Gemini’s multimodal features, 4o’s partial multimodality is available -albeit with limited use -for free accounts. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>So how did we get here and why is this important? Let’s take a look at the path we’ve traveled in the past 18 months and look into the future so we can understand the significance! \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The public debut of Large Language Models (LLMs), like ChatGPT which became \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.reuters.com\u002Ftechnology\u002Fchatgpt-sets-record-fastest-growing-user-base-analyst-note-2023-02-01\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">the fastest-growing\u003C\u002Fa> consumer application of all time, has been a roaring success. LLMs are machine learning models trained on a vast amount of text data which enables them to understand and generate human-like text based on the patterns and structures they’ve learned. They differ significantly from \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fmachine-learning-and-deep-learning-in-medicine\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">prior deep learning methods\u003C\u002Fa> in scale, capabilities, and potential impact. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F05\u002Ftmf_article_362_AI_doctor_robot-768x432.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-50863\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F05\u002Ftmf_article_362_AI_doctor_robot-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F05\u002Ftmf_article_362_AI_doctor_robot-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F05\u002Ftmf_article_362_AI_doctor_robot-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F05\u002Ftmf_article_362_AI_doctor_robot.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Large language models will soon find their way\u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fwhat-does-gpt-4-mean-for-healthcare\" target=\"_blank\"> in to everyday clinical settings\u003C\u002Fa>, simply because the global shortage of healthcare personnel is becoming dire and AI will lend a hand with tasks that do not require skilled medical professionals. But before this can happen,\u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fwhy-and-how-to-regulate-chatgpt-like-large-language-models-in-healthcare\" target=\"_blank\"> before we have\u003C\u002Fa> a \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fdigital-health-best-practices-policy-makers-free-report\" target=\"_blank\">sufficiently robust regulatory framework\u003C\u002Fa> in place we are already seeing how this new technology is being used \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F5-ai-tools-that-could-help-build-a-medical-practice\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">in everyday life\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>To better understand what lies ahead, let’s explore another key concept that will play a significant role in the transformation of medicine: \u003Cstrong>multimodality\u003C\u002Fstrong>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Doctors and nurses are supercomputers, medical AI is a calculator\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>A multimodal system can process and interpret multiple types of input data, such as text, images, audio, and video, simultaneously. Current medical AIs only process one type of data, for example, text or X-ray images. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>However, medicine, by nature, is multimodal as are humans. To diagnose and treat a patient, a healthcare professional listens to the patient, reads their health files, looks at medical images and interprets laboratory results. This is far beyond what any AI is capable of today. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The difference between the two can be likened to the difference between a runner and a pentathlete. A runner excels in one discipline, whereas a pentathlete must excel in multiple disciplines to succeed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Most current Large Language Models (LLMs) are the runners, they are unimodal. Humans in medicine are champions of pentathlon teams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002F0821_generative-ai-cover-01-768x432.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-52139\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002F0821_generative-ai-cover-01-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002F0821_generative-ai-cover-01-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002F0821_generative-ai-cover-01-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002F0821_generative-ai-cover-01.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>At the moment most Large Language Models (LLMs) are unimodal, meaning they can only analyze texts. GPT-4 can analyze images and understands voice commands in the phone app, and so does ChatGPT-4o. These models can also generate images. The rest of the multimodal capabilities are not yet available to everyday subscribers.  Other widely used LLMs, like Google’s Gemini or Claude AI, can interpret image prompts (such as a chart), but can’t generate image responses yet. Meanwhile, Google is reportedly working on pioneering the medical large language model arena with a range of models, including the latest: \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fresearch.google\u002Fblog\u002Fadvancing-medical-ai-with-med-gemini\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Med-Gemini\u003C\u002Fa>. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>All in all, from The Medical Futurist’s perspective, it’s clear that multimodal LLMs (M-LLMs) with full functionality will arrive soon, otherwise AI won’t be able to significantly contribute to the multimodal nature of medicine and care. These systems will considerably reduce the workload of – but not replace- human healthcare professionals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The future is M-LLMs\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The development of M-LLMs will have at least three significant consequences:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. AI will handle multiple types of content, from images to audio\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>An M-LLM will be able to process and interpret various kinds of content, which is crucial for a comprehensive analysis in medicine. We could list hundreds of examples regarding the benefits of such a system but will mention only a few in the following five categories: \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Text analysis\u003C\u002Fstrong>: M-LLMs will be capable of handling a vast amount of administrative, clinical, educational and marketing tasks, from updating electronic medical records to solving case studies\u003C\u002Fli>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Image analysis\u003C\u002Fstrong>: another broad area in terms of potential use cases, which spans from reading handwritten notes to analysing radiology (ophthalmology, neurology, pathology, etc.) images\u003C\u002Fli>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Sound analysis\u003C\u002Fstrong>: M-LLMs will eventually become competent in disease monitoring such as checking heart and lung sounds for abnormalities to ensure early detection, but sounds can also provide valuable info in mental health and rehabilitation applications\u003C\u002Fli>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Video analysis\u003C\u002Fstrong>: an advanced algorithm will be able to guide a medical student in virtual reality surgery training regarding how to aim precisely, move, proceed, but videos could also be used to detect neurological conditions or to support patients communicating with sign language. \u003C\u002Fli>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Complex document analysis\u003C\u002Fstrong>: this will include assistance in literature review and research, analysis of medical guidelines for clinical decision-making, and clinical coding among many other forms of use \u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. It will break language barriers\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-group\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\u003Cp>These M-LLMs will easily facilitate communication between healthcare providers and patients who speak different languages, translating between various languages in real time. Just as we’ve seen how \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=c2DFg53Zhvw\" target=\"_blank\">live translation works with ChatGPT-4o\u003C\u002Fa>. It’s obvious what a potential removing language barriers holds for medical appointments.\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>\u003Cstrong>Specialist\u003C\u002Fstrong>: “Can you please point to where it hurts?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>M-LLM \u003C\u002Fstrong>(Translating for Patient): “¿Puede señalar dónde le duele?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Patient \u003C\u002Fstrong>points to lower abdomen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>M-LLM \u003C\u002Fstrong>(Translating for Specialist): “The patient is pointing to the lower abdomen.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Specialist\u003C\u002Fstrong>: “On a scale from 1 to 10, how would you rate your pain?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>M-LLM\u003C\u002Fstrong> (Translating for Patient): “En una escala del 1 al 10, ¿cómo calificaría su dolor?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Patient\u003C\u002Fstrong>: “Es un 8.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>M-LLM\u003C\u002Fstrong> (Translating for Specialist): “It is an 8.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Finally, the arrival of interoperability can connect and harmonise various hospital systems\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>An M-LLM could serve as a central hub that facilitates access to various unimodal AIs used in the hospital, such as radiology software, insurance handling software, Electronic Medical Records (EMR), etc. The situation today is as follows:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>One company manufactures software for the radiology department which use a certain format of AI in their daily work. Another company’s algorithm works with the hospital’s electronic medical records, and yet another third-party suplier creates AI to compile insurance reports. However, doctors typically only have access to the system strictly related to their field, for example, a radiologist has access to the radiological AI, but a cardiologist does not. And of course, these algorithms don’t communicate with each other. If the cardiology department used an algorithm that analysed heart and lung signs, gastroenterologists or psychiatrists very likely wouldn’t have access to it – even though its findings may be useful for their diagnosis as well.  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The significant step will be when M-LLMs – eventually – become capable of understanding the language and format of all these software applications and help people communicate with them. An average doctor will then be able to easily work with the radiological AI software, the AI software managing the EMRs, and the fourth, and eighth (etc. ) AI used in the hospital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>This potential is very important because such a breakthrough won’t come about in any other way. No single company will come up with such software because they don’t have access to the AI data developed by individual companies. The M-LLM however will be able to communicate with these systems individually and, as a central hub, will provide a tool of immense importance to doctors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The transition from unimodal to multimodal AI is a necessary step to fully harness the potential of AI in medicine. By developing M-LLMs that can process multiple types of content, break language barriers, and facilitate access to other AI applications, we can revolutionize the way we practice medicine. The journey from being a calculator to matching the supercomputers we call doctors is challenging, but it is a revolution happening in front of our eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"rendered":207,"protected":20},"\u003Cp>Medical AI can’t interpret complex cases yet. The arrival of multimodal large language models like ChatGPT-4o starts the real revolution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",52331,{"_acf_changed":20,"footnotes":27},[211,212],7079,504,[214,215,216,217,218,219],7741,7859,7863,7865,7953,7955,[],[],[223,60,224],1833,1795,[226,14,63,64,65,66,67,227,228,229,230,231,232,233,234],"post-52263","category-tmf","category-artificial-intelligence","tag-large-language-models","tag-multimodal-ai","tag-multimodal-large-language-models","tag-multimodal-llm","tag-chatgpt-4o","tag-google-gemini",{"id":208,"alt_text":27,"caption":27,"description":27,"media_type":89,"media_details":236,"post":123,"source_url":266},{"width":91,"height":92,"file":237,"filesize":238,"sizes":239,"image_meta":264},"2023\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_384.png",392679,{"medium":240,"large":246,"thumbnail":252,"medium_large":257,"1536x1536":258},{"file":241,"width":242,"height":243,"mime-type":99,"filesize":244,"source_url":245},"tmf_article_384-370x208.png",370,208,39197,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_384-370x208.png",{"file":247,"width":248,"height":249,"mime-type":99,"filesize":250,"source_url":251},"tmf_article_384-768x432.png",768,432,102764,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_384-768x432.png",{"file":253,"width":254,"height":254,"mime-type":99,"filesize":255,"source_url":256},"tmf_article_384-150x150.png",150,15310,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_384-150x150.png",{"file":247,"width":248,"height":249,"mime-type":99,"filesize":250,"source_url":251},{"file":259,"width":260,"height":261,"mime-type":99,"filesize":262,"source_url":263},"tmf_article_384-1536x864.png",1536,864,246516,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_384-1536x864.png",{"aperture":117,"credit":27,"camera":27,"caption":27,"created_timestamp":117,"copyright":27,"focal_length":117,"iso":117,"shutter_speed":117,"title":27,"orientation":117,"keywords":265},[],"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002Ftmf_article_384.png",{"cta_type":124,"cta_color":27,"related_books":268,"related_posts_footer":271,"related_posts":20,"subtitle":27,"key_takeaways":275},[128,269,270],47427,31417,[272,273,274],24858,51555,12808,[276,278,280],{"title":277},"\u003Cp>The development of multimodal large language models (M-LLMs) is crucial for the future of medicine as they can process and interpret multiple types of data simultaneously, unlike current unimodal AI systems. This will enable comprehensive analysis in medicine, facilitate communication between healthcare providers and patients speaking different languages, and serve as a central hub for various unimodal AI applications in hospitals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"title":279},"\u003Cp>While the public debut of Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT has been a resounding success, current AI systems lack the capability to process multiple types of data, making them inadequate for the multimodal nature of medicine. The transition to M-LLMs will be necessary to substantially reduce the workload of healthcare professionals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"title":281},"\u003Cp>This journey is challenging but necessary to move medical AI from being a ‘calculator’ to matching the ‘supercomputers’ we call doctors\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"yoast_wpseo_title":283,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":284,"yoast_wpseo_canonical":201},"Multimodal Large Language Models In Healthcare: The Next Big Thing","Medical AI can't interpret complex cases yet. The arrival of multimodal large language models like ChatGPT-4o starts the real revolution.",{"self":286,"collection":291,"about":293,"author":295,"replies":297,"version-history":300,"predecessor-version":304,"wp:featuredmedia":308,"wp:attachment":311,"wp:term":314,"curies":325},[287],{"href":288,"targetHints":289},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F52263",{"allow":290},[145],[292],{"href":148},[294],{"href":151},[296],{"embeddable":26,"href":154},[298],{"embeddable":26,"href":299},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=52263",[301],{"count":302,"href":303},22,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F52263\u002Frevisions",[305],{"id":306,"href":307},58873,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F52263\u002Frevisions\u002F58873",[309],{"embeddable":26,"href":310},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia\u002F52331",[312],{"href":313},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=52263",[315,317,319,321,323],{"taxonomy":174,"embeddable":26,"href":316},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcategories?post=52263",{"taxonomy":177,"embeddable":26,"href":318},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags?post=52263",{"taxonomy":180,"embeddable":26,"href":320},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fproject_category?post=52263",{"taxonomy":183,"embeddable":26,"href":322},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcontact_email_category?post=52263",{"taxonomy":186,"embeddable":26,"href":324},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fyst_prominent_words?post=52263",[326],{"name":190,"href":191,"templated":26},[328],{"id":128,"date":329,"date_gmt":330,"guid":331,"modified":333,"modified_gmt":334,"slug":335,"status":13,"type":336,"link":337,"title":338,"content":340,"excerpt":342,"author":23,"featured_media":344,"comment_status":25,"ping_status":25,"template":27,"yst_prominent_words":345,"class_list":346,"better_featured_image":349,"acf":384,"yoast_meta":404,"_links":407},"2023-08-26T14:44:31","2023-08-26T12:44:31",{"rendered":332},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002F?post_type=book&p=52203","2023-08-26T14:59:40","2023-08-26T12:59:40","generative-ai-in-healthcare-the-chatgpt-revolution","book","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fbooks\u002Fgenerative-ai-in-healthcare-the-chatgpt-revolution\u002F",{"rendered":339},"Generative AI in Healthcare – The ChatGPT Revolution",{"rendered":341,"protected":20},"\n\u003Cp>Dive into the world of generative AI with “The ChatGPT Revolution” ebook. Understand the impact of ChatGPT, explore the vast potential of Large Language Models, and anticipate a multimodal AI-driven healthcare future. A must-read for those keen on the next medical revolution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"rendered":343,"protected":20},"\u003Cp>Dive into the world of generative AI with “The ChatGPT Revolution” ebook. Understand the impact of ChatGPT, explore the vast potential of Large Language Models, […]\u003C\u002Fp>\n",52205,[],[347,336,348,64,66,67],"post-52203","type-book",{"id":344,"alt_text":27,"caption":27,"description":27,"media_type":89,"media_details":350,"post":128,"source_url":383},{"width":351,"height":352,"file":353,"filesize":354,"sizes":355,"image_meta":381},2000,2590,"2023\u002F08\u002FGenerative_AI_companies.png",2016564,{"medium":356,"large":360,"thumbnail":365,"medium_large":369,"1536x1536":370,"2048x2048":375},{"file":357,"width":242,"height":243,"mime-type":99,"filesize":358,"source_url":359},"Generative_AI_companies-370x208.png",54639,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002FGenerative_AI_companies-370x208.png",{"file":361,"width":248,"height":362,"mime-type":99,"filesize":363,"source_url":364},"Generative_AI_companies-768x995.png",995,325064,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002FGenerative_AI_companies-768x995.png",{"file":366,"width":254,"height":254,"mime-type":99,"filesize":367,"source_url":368},"Generative_AI_companies-150x150.png",26235,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002FGenerative_AI_companies-150x150.png",{"file":361,"width":248,"height":362,"mime-type":99,"filesize":363,"source_url":364},{"file":371,"width":372,"height":260,"mime-type":99,"filesize":373,"source_url":374},"Generative_AI_companies-1186x1536.png",1186,591766,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002FGenerative_AI_companies-1186x1536.png",{"file":376,"width":377,"height":378,"mime-type":99,"filesize":379,"source_url":380},"Generative_AI_companies-1581x2048.png",1581,2048,899535,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002FGenerative_AI_companies-1581x2048.png",{"aperture":117,"credit":27,"camera":27,"caption":27,"created_timestamp":117,"copyright":27,"focal_length":117,"iso":117,"shutter_speed":117,"title":27,"orientation":117,"keywords":382},[],"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002FGenerative_AI_companies.png",{"buy_button_text":385,"leanpub_url":386,"preview":387},"Get it on Leanpub","https:\u002F\u002Fleanpub.com\u002Fgenerative-ai-in-healthcare",[388,390,392,394,396,398,400,402],{"image":389},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002Fgenerativ-ai-in-healthcare-1-8-1.png",{"image":391},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002Fgenerativ-ai-in-healthcare-1-8-2.png",{"image":393},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002Fgenerativ-ai-in-healthcare-1-8-3.png",{"image":395},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002Fgenerativ-ai-in-healthcare-1-8-4.png",{"image":397},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002Fgenerativ-ai-in-healthcare-1-8-5.png",{"image":399},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002Fgenerativ-ai-in-healthcare-1-8-6.png",{"image":401},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002Fgenerativ-ai-in-healthcare-1-8-7.png",{"image":403},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2023\u002F08\u002Fgenerativ-ai-in-healthcare-1-8-8.png",{"yoast_wpseo_title":405,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":406,"yoast_wpseo_canonical":337},"Generative AI in Healthcare - The ChatGPT Revolution - The Medical Futurist","ChatGPT Revolution: Explore generative AI's impact on healthcare. Dive into ChatGPT's rise, LLMs' potential, and envision a multimodal AI future. Read now",{"self":408,"collection":413,"about":416,"author":419,"replies":421,"wp:featuredmedia":424,"wp:attachment":427,"wp:term":430,"curies":433},[409],{"href":410,"targetHints":411},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fbook\u002F52203",{"allow":412},[145],[414],{"href":415},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fbook",[417],{"href":418},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftypes\u002Fbook",[420],{"embeddable":26,"href":154},[422],{"embeddable":26,"href":423},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=52203",[425],{"embeddable":26,"href":426},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia\u002F52205",[428],{"href":429},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=52203",[431],{"taxonomy":186,"embeddable":26,"href":432},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fyst_prominent_words?post=52203",[434],{"name":190,"href":191,"templated":26},1787036543592]