really cute and pretty kitchen products

http://www.toxel.com/tech/2010/02/08/12-cool-products-for-your-kitchen/

http://www.dezeen.com/2010/01/07/stereotype-by-daizi-zheng/

http://www.designer-daily.com/kitchen-fun-698

interesting concept

http://www.manolith.com/2009/11/18/music-playing-pants-will-make-you-exercise-until-you-like-it/

oh silly

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10443919-1.html

cool!

http://luxirare.com/crayon/

project 1 abstract

The concept for my project is to create a product that works in conjunction with the idea of salivary diagnostics. Salivary diagnostics is the diagnosis and screening for an enormous variety of diseases, cancers and other illnesses. Though the technology is not yet completed and perfected, it should be a legitimate and realistic way to more accurately test for ailments within the next 10-15 years. Salivary diagnostics works several different ways. One is by inputting a sample of saliva into a mass spectrometer. The mass spectrometer then passes a laser beam through the sample and identities various proteins by recognizing their structure according to a protein map developed by scientists. Another way is a reactive solid that detects the presence of immunoglobins (the things that indicate disease) and visually shows a difference to the tester. Yet another is via samples tested in electrophoresis gels. My product is a conceptual piece, aiming to utilize this future technology. The toothbrush would have a small cartridge that collects saliva and activates a sensor when an abnormality or risk is detected. Then, the cartridge would be sent or taken to a doctor or dentist equipped with a mass spectrometer to be analyzed. I think salivary diagnostics is a FASCINATING idea that could hugely benefit society. If recognition of warning signs is available in the home, it is more likely that people will be able to catch diseases in their earliest onsets. Many people are afraid of visiting a doctor, afraid of blood tests or too awkward for other tests (invasive to various orifices) and this system would solve the entire problem. This could be especially helpful in detecting juvenile onset of diabetes or obesity, and perhaps in the future data could be added to recognize necessary changes in eating habits and nutrition. This product is related to the food network in that dental and physical health are dependent upon and influence the food we eat.

here are some links and research that i have found

http://www.ada.org/public/topics/saliva_diagnostics.pdf

http://www.progenosis.com/index.php

Combination of Reverse Transcriptase PCR Analysis and Immunoglobulin M Detection on Filter Paper Blood Samples Allows Diagnostic and Epidemiological Studies of Measles

Rik L. De Swart,^1,* Yassin Nur,¹ Abdallah Abdallah,¹ Hans Kruining,¹ H. Sittana El Mubarak,² Salah A. Ibrahim,² Bernadette Van Den Hoogen,¹ Jan Groen,¹ and Albert D. M. E. Osterhaus¹

Institute of Virology, Erasmus Medical Centre Rotterdam, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands,¹ and Institute of Endemic Diseases, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan²

Received 20 July 2000/Returned for modification 29 September 2000/Accepted 18 October 2000

As measles control and elimination campaigns progress, laboratory confirmation of clinically diagnosed measles cases becomes increasingly important. However, in many tropical countries collection and storage of clinical specimens for this purpose are logistically complicated. In this study it is shown that blood samples spotted on filter paper are suitable for the laboratory diagnosis of measles using a combination of reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) analysis and immunoglobulin M (IgM) detection. First, it was shown that in vitro measles virus (MV)-infected cells diluted in human blood and spotted on filter paper can be detected by RT-PCR. Small amounts of infected cells remained detectable after 25 weeks of storage of the filter paper at room temperature, 4 weeks at 37°C, or 2 weeks at 45°C. Subsequently, this RT-PCR was applied to filter paper blood samples collected from 117 clinically diagnosed measles patients in Sudan in 1997 and 1998. Prior laboratory diagnosis had confirmed 90 cases as acute MV infections, while 27 proved to be nonmeasles rash disease cases. Positive RT-PCR signals were detected in filter paper blood samples of 43 of the 90 confirmed cases (48%) but in none of the 27 nonmeasles cases. In addition, MV-specific IgM levels measured in reconstituted filter paper samples correlated well with those measured in plasma samples. Measles diagnosis based on the combination of filter paper RT-PCR and IgM detection had a sensitivity and specificity of 99 and 96%, respectively. An advantage of this diagnostic approach is that sequencing of RT-PCR products allows phylogenetic analysis of the MV strain involved.