Cue is the detailed connected health monitor on which you spit

May 14, 2014

If you thought smartwatches and cars were the only big connected technologies coming in the next 24 months, you would be missing perhaps the biggest and most intriguing one for health and fitness: Cue. Instead of measuring your heart rate or sleep patterns, Cue goes for actual bio-testing of fertility (Luteinizing Hormone), testosterone, influenza, vitamin D and inflammation. Now you can place lab tech right in the privacy of your own home!

That's the good news. The bad news is this sophisticated unit that works via Bluetooth to your smartphone isn't expected to be available until spring 2015, after FDA approval. Still, that's not stopping the company from taking preorders today for a fair $149 for the first 1,000 orders (it jumps to $199 afterwards).

Cue works by analyzing your saliva, blood or nasal swap for various categories like the aforementioned ones, which tend to be the most common. Once the analysis s completed, the results are sent to your smartphone over Bluetooth 4.0 (Cue's video shows an iPhone, but there might be compatibility with other devices), where you can peruse or share them with your doctor. Of course, the results aren't meant to replace your doctor, but rather facilitate discussion before your visit. Cue can also save quite a lot of money, as anyone with insurance in the US knows; lab tests aren't cheap.

As someone who used to work in healthcare, the notion of 'home tests' are fascinating. While they will rarely replicate in-house or lab-certified tests by such places as Quest, they are the next best thing and can help those who are tech savvy to stay ahead of the game. Assuming the tests hold up, and the FDA gives it a nod, would you be interested in such home monitoring? Let us know below.

Source: Cue; via Engadget