Elizabeth Holmes
The young billionaire and the blood test-Revolution
The end of the unloved venipuncture seems close. Future could be enough to create a comprehensive blood count a small drop. Behind this revolution is a young billionaire.
By Norbert Hofler, New York
Elizabeth Holmes and the Revolution venipuncture: The process should be a billion dollar business and is expected to countless patients' fears before venipuncture.
Everyone knows it, many hate it. The nurse is required to take blood. The sleeves are rolled up, the arm is tied, she stabs the needle of the syringe slowly into the vein and pulls even slower blood out. Sometimes it fills two tubes, sometimes more. Then she asks, "Will you dizzy It's over right now ...?"
And now comes the good news: The Bloodsucking stops soon. The company Theranos in Silicon Valley has developed a test procedure that requires only a drop of blood taken from the fingertip. In order to determine 200 different blood levels are - from cholesterol to cancer markers. And the tests are 50 to 90 percent cheaper.
German patients have to wait
Patients in Germany have to be patient. The test developers Theranos (a word combination of therapy and diagnostics) to start the new process only once in the United States. In some branches of the nation's largest drugstore chain Walgreens you can get stung in the finger itself. The star has tried it at Walgreens in Palo Alto. It is quick and does not hurt. Only the finger is wrapped in a warm bandage, then comes the sting. A little blood is pushed out and dropped large vessel in a thimble. The container is provided with a bar code and sent to the laboratory of Theranos. What exactly is happening there, and how the laboratory equipment look that can identify with as little blood exact values, is top secret. The test result get patient and physician reported within a few hours.
Scientists and physicians in the US speak of a "revolution". Harvey Fineberg, president of the respected independent Insitute of Medicine in Washington, says: "It is exciting and can be a lot, a lot of change." If blood tests are so cheap and so fast, they can be carried out more often. Doctor and patient are no longer dependent on individual snapshots. There are many studies and values, effects and dosage of medication can be better tracked. A huge progress in laboratory medicine.
Recent US billionaire
Who is behind Theranos? Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos eleven years ago. With its history, it could rank among the great founders legends like Steve Jobs or Bill Gates soon. Here is a short version: With 19 Elizabeth Holmes breaks her studies at Stanford. She wanted to be chemical and electrical engineer. In an internship they had the idea of how to build small, fast laboratory equipment. For five days she joined a home and drew up plans. Only her mother was allowed to interfere with eating. In the basement of a dormitory at Stanford they tinkered the first device with a few confidants. Today their company is considered a jewel. The value is estimated at nine billion dollars. Elizabeth Holmes, now 30 years old, owns 50 percent. You recently as youngest billionaire in the Forbes list of richest Americans included.
Your company hired a few years ago the former Facebook building in Palo Alto, California. It is heavily guarded. The laboratories of Theranos as benchmarks of industrial spies. For wild speculation in Silicon Valley last saw the composition of the Supervisory of Theranos. There sit renowned ex-politicians and ex-military, such as the former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger and George Shultz. In the environment of the company states that the laboratories could also be used in remote areas, war zones and hospital ships.
Former Secretary of State Shultz, 93, spoke to the star. He declined to comment on "rumors military". But over Elizabeth Holmes he chatted like. The young woman had deeply impressed him. "Three years ago, she came to see me. They convinced me. The more I heard from her about the project, the more enthusiastic I was. She has a real mission. They want to improve the world." Of course, he had already made blood test at Theranos. He says: "I never go to the needle."
The young billionaire and the blood test-Revolution
The end of the unloved venipuncture seems close. Future could be enough to create a comprehensive blood count a small drop. Behind this revolution is a young billionaire.
By Norbert Hofler, New York
Elizabeth Holmes and the Revolution venipuncture: The process should be a billion dollar business and is expected to countless patients' fears before venipuncture.
Everyone knows it, many hate it. The nurse is required to take blood. The sleeves are rolled up, the arm is tied, she stabs the needle of the syringe slowly into the vein and pulls even slower blood out. Sometimes it fills two tubes, sometimes more. Then she asks, "Will you dizzy It's over right now ...?"
And now comes the good news: The Bloodsucking stops soon. The company Theranos in Silicon Valley has developed a test procedure that requires only a drop of blood taken from the fingertip. In order to determine 200 different blood levels are - from cholesterol to cancer markers. And the tests are 50 to 90 percent cheaper.
German patients have to wait
Patients in Germany have to be patient. The test developers Theranos (a word combination of therapy and diagnostics) to start the new process only once in the United States. In some branches of the nation's largest drugstore chain Walgreens you can get stung in the finger itself. The star has tried it at Walgreens in Palo Alto. It is quick and does not hurt. Only the finger is wrapped in a warm bandage, then comes the sting. A little blood is pushed out and dropped large vessel in a thimble. The container is provided with a bar code and sent to the laboratory of Theranos. What exactly is happening there, and how the laboratory equipment look that can identify with as little blood exact values, is top secret. The test result get patient and physician reported within a few hours.
Scientists and physicians in the US speak of a "revolution". Harvey Fineberg, president of the respected independent Insitute of Medicine in Washington, says: "It is exciting and can be a lot, a lot of change." If blood tests are so cheap and so fast, they can be carried out more often. Doctor and patient are no longer dependent on individual snapshots. There are many studies and values, effects and dosage of medication can be better tracked. A huge progress in laboratory medicine.
Recent US billionaire
Who is behind Theranos? Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos eleven years ago. With its history, it could rank among the great founders legends like Steve Jobs or Bill Gates soon. Here is a short version: With 19 Elizabeth Holmes breaks her studies at Stanford. She wanted to be chemical and electrical engineer. In an internship they had the idea of how to build small, fast laboratory equipment. For five days she joined a home and drew up plans. Only her mother was allowed to interfere with eating. In the basement of a dormitory at Stanford they tinkered the first device with a few confidants. Today their company is considered a jewel. The value is estimated at nine billion dollars. Elizabeth Holmes, now 30 years old, owns 50 percent. You recently as youngest billionaire in the Forbes list of richest Americans included.
Your company hired a few years ago the former Facebook building in Palo Alto, California. It is heavily guarded. The laboratories of Theranos as benchmarks of industrial spies. For wild speculation in Silicon Valley last saw the composition of the Supervisory of Theranos. There sit renowned ex-politicians and ex-military, such as the former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger and George Shultz. In the environment of the company states that the laboratories could also be used in remote areas, war zones and hospital ships.
Former Secretary of State Shultz, 93, spoke to the star. He declined to comment on "rumors military". But over Elizabeth Holmes he chatted like. The young woman had deeply impressed him. "Three years ago, she came to see me. They convinced me. The more I heard from her about the project, the more enthusiastic I was. She has a real mission. They want to improve the world." Of course, he had already made blood test at Theranos. He says: "I never go to the needle."