Researchers at Northeastern University have developed a new way for iPhones to measure blood sugar levels without drawing blood, showcasing the increasingly sophisticated applications of mobile devices.

Professor Heather Clark at the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences modified an iPhone to measure blood using "non-invasively monitor biomarkers." Instead of drawing blood, the system requires a person to be injected with a small amount of "nanoparticle solution," which glows when exposed to molecules such as glucose.

Then, an iPhone --- equipped with a special battery-powered case, camera lens filter and LED array -- reads the levels of fluorescence and sends the results to a computer for analysis. Clark plans to create an iPhone app to analyze nanoparticle data.

If the technology becomes commercialized, users may soon iPhones to track other "biomarkers," such as sodium and even blood oxygen levels.

"Let's say you have medication with a very narrow therapeutic range," she said, "you have to try it a dosage and see what happens."

Using the modified iPhone system, Clark suggests people may also monitor the effects of new drugs in the bloodstream in real-time.

The technology, though barrier-breaking, isn't alone in its field, as the market for mobile medical apps continues to grow. Other iPhone apps can analyze stroke victims' brains, read EKG scans and even detect malaria and dengue fever.

There's also an app to detect melanoma called Skin Scan, which snaps a photo of suspicious spots and analyzes them to determine if a visit to a dermatologist is warranted.

As medical apps become more popular and utilized in the medical community, the FDA is looking to regulate the mobile tools used in hospitals and clinics to ensure quality control.

"We wanted to make sure that we are consistent in regulating medical devices so nothing has changed," said Bakul Patel, the FDA's policy advisor. "If somebody makes a stethoscope on an iPhone, it doesn't change the level of oversight we have of a stethoscope."

The plan may irk some developers reluctant to wait on FDA approval, though it may help standardize medical care across the country.

Regardless, technology like Clark's app will keep growing, along with increased demand for medical apps revolutionizing health-care by making it more accessible and even economical.

NEW DELHI: Having lost the leadership position in the smartphones market to Apple, Nokia is looking for ideas from people on new features that will allow these devices to be used for more activities than just communication.

"We are inviting idea from masses on what people will like to control using Nokia N8 smartphones," Ravi Kunwar , Director (Sales) for Nokia India's North Sales Unit, told PTI.

Nokia is running roadshows in the country where it is demonstrating how a toy car can be controlled using an N8 phone.

Kunwar mentioned that company is open for ideas on developing remote control functions in N8 phones that can be used for controlling home appliances or real-life vehicles.

"After receiving all ideas till August 8, we will start evaluating each concept and look in to possibility of developing it. Till date, we have received over 5,000 ideas. Initially, we will select only the top three applications in demand from the list," Kunwar said.

Indian mobile application developer company Divum is working with Nokia on the project.

"We are using a wi-fi based chipset in the device which is to be controlled. The commands are send from the phone," Vaideeswaran Sethuraman, CEO and founder, Divum Corporate Services, said.

Kunwar added that using the remote control technology, an N8 use will be able to control any device from anywhere in the world.

"Only the device should be within (telecom) network," Kunwar said.

He added that company will first launch the application on N8 phones, but following success, it can be replicated on other Nokia smartphones.

PTI

WASHINGTON: We are living in a world where everyone is glued to their smartphones and other electronic gadgets. So it is no surprise that mobile devices and other stereo 3D devices are really hurting our vision.

According to a new study, prolonged viewing of mobiles and 3D devices often leads to visual discomfort, fatigue and even headaches because our eyes have to focus on the small screen and simultaneously adjust to the distance of the content.

This phenomenon is called the vergence-accommodation conflict.

"When watching stereo 3D displays, the eyes must focus -- that is, accommodate -- to the distance of the screen because that's where the light comes from. At the same time, the eyes must converge to the distance of the stereo content, which may be in front of or behind the screen," said author Martin S. Banks, professor of optometry and vision science, University of California, Berkeley.

The researchers conducted a series of experiments on 24 adults and observed the interaction between the viewing distance and the direction of the conflict, examining whether placing the content in front of or behind the screen affects viewer discomfort.

The results demonstrated that with devices like mobile phones and desktop displays that are viewed at a short distance, stereo content placed in front of the screen -- appearing closer to the viewer and into the space of viewer's room -- was less comfortable than content placed behind the screen.

Conversely, when viewing at a longer distance such as a movie theater screen, stereo content placed behind the screen --appearing as though the viewer is looking through a window scene behind the screen -- was less comfortable.

"Discomfort associated with viewing Stereo 3D is a major problem that may limit the use of technology. We hope that our findings will inspire more research in this area," said Banks.

The study appears in the Journal of Vision.