As Google has become a tool for flu-tracking [1], so the mobile phone will be making medical diagnoses. Thanks to a Gates Foundation grant, STAR Analytical Services is developing software to analyze the sound of a cough. The goal is acoustic analysis of coughs for diagnosing pneumonia, with the objective of better managing severe respiratory illness in developing countries to help contain disease spread. Article [2]|Announcement [3]
Links:
[1] http://www.fiercebiotechit.com/story/online-flu-tracking-yields-hype-epidemic/2009-05-08
[2] http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/mobile_application_to_diagnose_disease_by_hearing_you_cough.php
[3] http://www.fiercebiotech.com/press-releases/star-analytical-services-receives-100-000-grand-challenges-explorations-grant-innovat