TEDMED 2010: The Best and Brightest in Healthcare Innovation

According to Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s CNN blog, the number one mouth-dropping sight at this year’s conference was Dr. Shaf Keshavjee’s revived pig lung experiment (which Martha Stewart was brave enough to touch). Dr. Keshavjee created a machine that was able to revive a pig’s lung and keep it breathing at room temperature with nutrient-rich perfusion and inflation, without any blood flow.  His creation has made it possible to preserve and transplant some 30 human lungs. An innovation that can dramatically improve the transplant process.

Geneticist Nathaniel Pearson, of Knome Lab in Cambridge Mass., sequenced the genome of Ozzy Osbourne, fully mapping his genes. By investigating the rockstar’s blood, the lab will be able to better understand drug metabolism and the effects years of partying has on one’s system. This has become one of the hottest topics in the genetics world, so stay tuned for Friday reveal of Ozzy’s surprisingly positive results. For live blogging from Biotech Reporter Heith Darce about the reveal of the genetic study, click.

Self-proclaimed “virus hunter” Dr. Nathan Wolfe, head of the Global Viral Forecasting Initiative, led a discussion on the distribution of viruses among various species. Dr. Wolfe suggested that social data from sites such as Facebook and Twitter are the future of viral predictions and the prescription to managing the spread. By simply updating your status with “Got a case of the flu,” Wolfe thinks we can predict how the virus might spread by looking at your location and friends.

Walt Mossberg, Wall Street Journal tech columnist and diabetic, knows all too well that the current diabetic devices need a technological revamp. That’s why when he stepped on stage at the TEDMED conference he held up in the air what he thinks could replace the dysfunctional glucose monitors… an iPad. Considering there are over 24 million Americans managing their diabetes with glucose monitors, he isn’t the only who is sick of spending $1 on every test strip just to test his blood from a device that makes the Sony Walkman look innovative. Mossberg challenged the audience and the tech world to utilize the iPad to replace the obsolete monitors that some 24 million diabetics use. What is even more exciting is that Mossberg and Practice Fusion have something in common. We‘re both inviting others to create devices that can connect to real-time data, Mossberg with his iPad request and Practice Fusion with our recent open API Challenge.