The field of “holographic diagnostics” was pioneered just recently, and while it might sound like pure science fiction it is actually an extreme cost-saving measure that could change the way we monitor chronic diseases, and how we test for all kinds of harmful chemicals. Research conducted at the University of Cambridge was able to use a simple hydrogel laced with silver particles as an accurate, reusable indicator of a wide array of chemical situations. From monitoring glucose levels in the blood to stop-testing a shipment of drugs for counterfeit versions, this rather out-there innovation could provide some very real-world benefits.
One of the big problems for biological implants is signal transduction — in other words, even with a working sensor installed and running, it still needs to get that information back to the outside world. Wireless communication is unreliable and greedily eats through power supplies — but recent research has made real progress in using hydrogels as a sort of bio-compatible fiber optic cable, so implants can easily send signals to the surface of the skin. This innovation simplifies the pathway even further, removing the need for lasers to send the signal, and the need for computers to read it at the other end.
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