• Home
  • News
  • Fortune 500
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Apple

Drug-sniffing Apple iPhone apps are just a pee-strip away

By
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
By
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
January 12, 2015 at 5:27 PM UTC
Screegrab courtesy of 9to5Mac

“Can I tell if my son has been using marijuana with this?” asks 9to5Mac‘s Seth Weintraub at the end of the first video attached below.

What he’s taped is a demo by Sam De Brouwer, co-founder of Scanadu, of two prototype iPhone accessories the Silicon Valley-based startup brought to CES last week:

  • Scout, a device that records such vital measurements as body temperature, heart rate, blood oxygenation, respiratory rate, ECG, and diastolic/systolic blood pressure and enters them into the iPhone via BlueTooth
  • Scanaflo, an iPhone-ready home urinalysis strip that measures levels of glucose, protein, leukocytes, nitrites, blood, bilirubin, urobilinogen, microalbumin, creatinine, ketone, specific gravity and pH. Levels are recorded as colors and input via the iPhone’s camera.

.

Screen Shot 2015-01-12 at 11.40.32 AM“Interestingly,” writes Weintraub, “Scanaflo could easily be upgraded to be a drug/urine testing apparatus which would open up a huge can of worms but also enable parents of troubled teens to know that their children were behaving.”

If Weintraub’s kids were teens — and not 6 and 3 — he might have known that Walgreens already has a shelf full of products that test for a variety of street drugs, from weed to oxycontin.

Below: Weintraub’s YouTube, a Scanadu promotional video and an Economist interview with co-founder Walter De Brouwer, M.D.

.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/3cE9Xc5kqmY]

[youtube=http://youtu.be/KSwMauCno6o]

[youtube=http://youtu.be/AvoI_Qf_FDs]

Follow Philip Elmer-DeWitt on Twitter at @philiped. Read his Apple AAPL coverage at fortune.com/ped or subscribe via his RSS feed.

About the Author
By Philip Elmer-DeWitt
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.