Can Your Pacemaker Be "Hacked"

In the last week of July 2013 , the largest convention of computer hackers met in Las Vegas. The major group called Black Hat consists of mostly "legal" hackers from all over the world who have hacked ATM machines, the Pentagon and other Electronic databases such as banks. Most of the hackers work for electronic and security firms by testing their security systems online. Even General Kieth Alexander head of the National Security Agency (NSA) was invited and gave an hour long speech to the conspicuous group of attendees. It appears that the government, particularly our intelligence agencies are desperately seeking "hackers" and recruiting them for the nation's top spy agencies! How interesting and coincidental. But, perhaps the biggest and brightest star of "hackers" in the world , Barnaby Jack, suddenly died approximately a week-and-a-half before the convention at the age of 36. Jack is the one who was made famous for being able to make ATM machines spit out cash with a device from remote distances. But, the genius-hacker had just demonstrated how electronic and other bio-medical devices made by companies such as Medtronic could be hacked into. For example, he was able to show how a hacker could "hack" into a patient's pacemaker device from remote distances by merely knowing or artificially making up passwords. Jack showed how the medical devices could be rendered useless or deliver alternate rhythms. The device could then be made to either stop the heart if the correct signal is sent. Not only this, Jack's hacking skill was capable of getting an implanted defibrillator to deliver electronic shocks from the hacker as well.

Another "expert hacker" Jay Radcliffe has shown how insulin pumps can also be hacked into remotely and deliver dangerous levels of insulin for an unsuspecting patient relying on such a device. As bio-medical devices become more reliant on "wi-fi" , new novel ways to hack into a person's device will become possible. He states that the digital inter-connected system makes these and other possibilities widespread in the future world. In a new Lifelock commercial, the company of electronic and digital files security shows a medical doctor who loses his laptop in a New York Taxi. The scenario could be a real possibility. While many feel that companies in the the digital security business are a real necessity, many critics are concerned with the massive build-up of companies who collect and store medical records of patients. Since the approval of the Affordable Care Act , it has been mandatory that medical practitioners such as physicians apply their offices with either new medical systems are completely new computers that allow them to download all of their patient records. These computers cost are not only costly but draw much concern for medical doctors who are hesistant about downloading all of their patient's records on digital files because of the risk of security such as hacking and also the risk of legal liability do to computer hacking as well. New computer medical records firms that collect medical records such as Serner in Kansas City, Missouri or Epic in Minneapolis,MN have compiled so much data , they are sill figuring out what to do with it. These companies have gathered hundreds of thousands of data on patients. At the time these companies are only "gatherers" but the logistics of utilizing this data will become ever more important and powerful in a new healthcare system that mandates healthcare purchase.If a biomedical or pharmaceutical company wanted to "pattern" the behavior of a patient or lifestyle it could use these data to predict purchasing and enhance their marketing. Then their is the little thing called blackmail. If a hacker wanted medical data of a certain individual , they could collect that data for nefarious purposes. The power of these types of companies and their potential use to serve or their vulnerability to computer hacking will also become prevalent in a "brave new world".

Orwell"s Prediction Speaks: "Lets Talk About The Bio-Medical Micro-Chip for A Moment"

Question. How many of us would allow ourselves to be voluntarily "micro-chipped" to improve our health, reduce crime, reduce racism, sexism, ageism, prevent all diseases, all pain, negative emotions , and allow us all to live in a projected holographic state of "nirvana" always ,everyday for all our natural born days? What if being "legally" micro-chipped guaranteed everyone equal rights, security, a home, a car, free education, free healthcare, free medicine ,nutritional balance a secure lifestyle ,job selection with month long vacations? What if the micro-chip helped stop all wars, reduced stress, worries and the thought of a poor condition state of starvation, poverty, hate, and inequality in the world? Would you be in the least bit interested...just a little? What if this offer was a "legal" contract that would be effective immediately upon signing? Now, think of all of the worlds problems and issues of people getting along that we have today. Now, what is the alternative to eradicating all of mankind's ills so rapidly the likes of which this technology can perform? If there existed a microchip that could via a holographically programmed database

do all of these things, what would be the downside of it? I'm just hypothetically speaking. Think, people, just where we are headed?

Orwell"s Prediction Speaks: "Lets Talk About The Bio-Medical Micro-Chip for A Moment"

Question. How many of us would allow ourselves to be voluntarily "micro-chipped" to improve our health, reduce crime, reduce racism, sexism, ageism, prevent all diseases, all pain, negative emotions , and allow us all to live in a projected holographic state of "nirvana" always ,everyday for all our natural born days? What if being "legally" micro-chipped guaranteed everyone equal rights, security, a home, a car, free education, free healthcare, free medicine ,nutritional balance a secure lifestyle ,job selection with month long vacations? What if the micro-chip helped stop all wars, reduced stress, worries and the thought of a poor condition state of starvation, poverty, hate, and inequality in the world? Would you be in the least bit interested...just a little? What if this offer was a "legal" contract that would be effective immediately upon signing? Now, think of all of the worlds problems and issues of people getting along that we have today. Now, what is the alternative to eradicating all of mankind's ills so rapidly the likes of which this technology can perform? If there existed a microchip that could via a holographically programmed database

do all of these things, what would be the downside of it? I'm just hypothetically speaking. Think, people, just where we are headed?

3-D Bio-Printers Allow Scientist to Be "Co-Creators"

The latest "game changer" in biomedical technology is undoubtedly the three dimensional bio-printer. It takes bio-labelled(DNA) and bio-copied protein to be used to make virtually any body part. Not, only can a 3-D bio-printer do this, but a regular 3-D printer has been used to make dental dentures and hearing aids. Now, a titanium jaw has been replicated by a 3-D bio-printer for implantation into a patient's mandible.

The Biggest Game Changer In Medicine Ever :Part 1

With the advent of wireless real-time hand held devices that can monitor all bodily functions, one would think that it would be another few years for the next big step in health. But, one only has to blink their eyes to wait to see the latest and perhaps the greatest innovations in medicine. Bio-medical technology has advanced in ground breaking tech to allow you to "print" your own body part! Sounds like science fiction? But, its's not. As Early as 2008 Japanese scientist Makoto Nakomura had started developing a three-dimensional bio-printer(3-DBP)). The chemist set about making a printer that "prints out" human tissue for bio-tubing to replace worn out blood vessels. Today this technology has advancde even further where one's own DNA can be used to "copy" and print a 3-D structure based on an individual's own the DNA blueprint. Virtually any blood vessel or organ such as a liver, kidney or heart could be actually "printed' into existence. The journal Science

Wireless Medicine & Digital Doctors Part 4

Doctors of the 21st century will be "hard-wired" technicians geared up with new ultrasonic stethoscopes, miniature tablets with applications that pull up algorithms for diagnosing and others that take echocardiograms and EKG(ECG), along with x-rays or bone density by the bedside. All this will become pretty much standard. On admission patients will have a sticker about the size of a band-aid placed on their skin that acts as a wireless digital device that monitors blood, oxygen, heart rate, heart rhythm, blood sugar, metabolism,respirations and temperature. In the time which it takes to write vitals and perform a history and physical exam today, virtually 90 % of the diagnosis will have already been made by digital wireless device input. The triaging of a patients before "hitting" the floor will make for faster as well as more efficient physician diagnostics and utilization of their time. These "Band-Aid" technologies are not meant just for hospitalized patients either, but for everyday normal healthy personal uses. Personal devices are already being built to be placed into the Nike running shoe to measure personal metrics for example.Tje Nike shoe's ability to help patients with a sensor that can improve balance for walking and improve ambulating normally. Today's Technology has gotten so advanced that these wireless devices can now assist in diagnosing are assist in numerous chronic diseases such as Alzheimer's, asthma, breast cancer, chronic obstructive lung disease, diabetes, heart failure, high blood pressure, sleep disorders and obesity. Many of these technologies will utilize an application that can extrapalate your own DNAs code. Your genomic material(DNA) can be genotyped and phenotyped based on DN markers. The genetic material will be monitored for predisposing diseases not noted at birth or later in life.This is preventive medicine on a molecular level with the use of bio-medical technology.

Wireless Medicine & Digital Doctors Part 3

Perhaps one of the greatest pioneers in "Wireless Medicine" is Dr. Eric Topol a world re-known cardiologist and author of the book the Creative Destruction of Medicine . He has helped co-create a very useful digital tool known as "Band-Aid" technology. These "band aids" are stick on digital sensors that can be placed virtually almost any place on the human body to scan its physiologic activity. Currently these sensors can give real time -continuous data of an organism or organ's function. These include sensors for continuous heart rate even fetal heart tones. Other monitoring functions that can be monitored are continuous glucose and sleep-wake cycles. These sensors can count a person's caloric intake and output in real time as well as provide information on dietary restrictions. Both the quantity and quality of the calorie of a meal can be monitored. These can all be helpful for the dietician, sleep specialist, diabetic specialist all sub-specialist including primary care physicians. General Electric's upgrade on the hand-held ultrasound makes old fashioned stethoscopes a thing of the past for nostalgia sake.The old stethoscope used for over a hundred years will become a virtual museum piece yet revered relic. The newer brand GE devices can perform abdominal, cardiac and fetal echo(ultrasound) imaging in real time, as well. The "band-aid" bio-med tech has also taken to further pronounced forms of heart monitoring. Once upon a time to measure the heart's activity for 24 hours required a large bulky device strapped to the chest . Now a "band-aid" strip can be placed that looks like a patch which can monitor heart rhythms and rates interrupted for prolong lengths of time. A patient won't have the discomfort of larger , clumsier boxes and wires hanging off them. These new "band-aid" technologies can monitor not only heart rate and rhythm, but also blood conduction(how thick or think blood flows), body temperature, respiration and oxygenation. These heart devices are currently most effective in heart failure patients. These will become evermore important in providing info to cardiologist, pulmonologist, critical care specialist as well as primary care physicians in both remote and academic locations by exchanging information more readily. Other types of "personal metrics" will be able to be used daily for individuals who want to measure and maintain "tighter" control of their body's own activities. Virtually every activity in life will be able to be measured in some value or its data interpreted mathematically. This is already exampled by Phillip's fitbit that measures food calories, weight, metabolism, sleep and yes- even sexual activity. These devices are merely a glimpse into the future for all of us. But, the question still remains as to just how far is it taking us and to what levels? Is this the future....no, it's here already. Dr. Topols book reads more like a "re-creation" of medicine in the future as opposed to merely the "destruction" of current medical methodology.