Smartphones as diagnostic tools?

In what may seem like a concept found in a sci-fi movie, doctors are now able to recommend appropriate treatment for stroke patients by viewing brain-scan images through iPhone and Android apps while away from the hospital, according to CNNTech.

The ResolutionMD Mobile app takes imagery from a computerized-tomography (CT) scan machine and transmits it through the virtual “cloud,” allowing doctors to stream and zoom in on images with a mobile app or web browser. The program was developed by Canadian medical researchers to meet a growing need to diagnose and begin treating stroke patients more quickly, as stroke medication is incrementally less effective the longer a patient waits for treatment.

The technology could be especially useful in rural areas, where many small-town hospitals don’t have the expertise available to begin treatment in a timely manner. It has already been approved in Canada and Europe, but is still awaiting approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.