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Comment by lazyjones | Hacker News Reader

Idea: a personal blood testing device for use at home (to test for many parameters including vitamin levels).

It would be beneficial to be able to test at least monthly in order to avoid risks associated with various deficiencies, to detect possible diseases early, to monitor relevant parameters while on a diet or exercising etc.. Also, we'd like to keep our results confidential to avoid trouble with insurances and other interested parties.

Labs have large, expensive devices tuned for throughput (e.g. http://www.healthcare.siemens.com/immunoassay/systems/advia-...). They can probably be reduced in size and cost to something comparable with a laser printer. Newer testing methods would work with single drops of blood (e.g. Theranos) so no special skills would be required.

(personal motivation: discovered an extreme Vitamin D3 deficiency, supplements seem to have a dramatic effect)

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Secondary idea: the device optionally sends (or produces) a document with the testing parameters and results to EHR software, doctor, or nurse. Caregivers can then return with answers or catch problematic values.

Even better, the data is recorded in a central database where you can be compared to all other users. If an anomaly occur, doctors (who will have access to the info from the start) will be notified and be able to call the shots with the benefit of data.

Edit: rereading your answer, you might have less explicitly said this.

The US FDA frowns heavily on home diagnostic devices when it comes to detecting disease. It's not the technology that is the obstacle.

What exactly is the advantage of a home device over Theranos, which has a Vitamin D3 test (https://www.theranos.com/test-menu/test/82306)? Data privacy?

Privacy, no need to mail tests around and wait for days, test price not dictated by 1 entity.

See my reply elsewhere: sell a lab-kit, customers send them in, anonymously if they want, get results by writing the code from the kit into a website.

This is kind-of-anonymous (won't help if the feds are after you)

Indeed, this already exists. It's like sending a 3D model to a 3D printing shop and getting a (pricey) result, instead of having a 3D printer at home. Different uses, appeal to different people. For example, an athlete interested in monitoring his body closely while exercising will prefer getting results within a few hours rather than days and the cost per test might be very relevant.

Try Analyte Health:

http://www.analytehealth.com

Another way to do it: buy a kit for taking your own samples, write down the code on the kit and send it to the lab.

Write the code into a web-page and you get status updates when it is received, when the results arrive etc.

If you want to you might register to get email updates.

closest I've found: https://www.insidetracker.com/public/home_kit/

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