Toshiba Exploravision

980N “Health and Nutrition System”
Abstract
For years pharmaceutical companies have sold diet pills and other health products
claiming to help those in need. In the future, passive monitoring of the food you eat, and the
activity in which you participate will be all that is needed to help those who want to lose weight
and become healthy. Through the use of multiple nanosensors throughout the body, people will
be able to seamlessly track their health without any direct involvement. Those who deal with
medical conditions related to food will also be able to reap the benefits of a health system based
purely on data. Through the use of nanoscale infrared spectroscopy, people will be able to know
exactly what they eat, and how they can improve their health. Diet scams and useless health
products are soon to be a thing of the past with _____ with what?
I don’t love this abstract, though I do like it. You capture the excitement (great) but not the
technology. You want to do both so I can quickly get a sense of what you are proposing
technologically. You dance around it a bit.

Present Technology
In recent years, a molecular food sensor has been named the “the sixth sense” of the
human body. Engineers have developed molecular sensors at the microscale level. Molecular
sensor technology has been tested in devices to monitor glucose levels for diabetics, to detect
mercury contamination, to monitor potassium levels, to detect melamine contamination, and to
sense airborne contaminants such as viruses and nerve gas. They can also determine the food that
is on someone’s dinner plate.
Photo: Pocket size Molecular Sensors
Compared to the traditional large molecular sensors, this pocket size molecular sensor
technology seems like science-fiction, but it’s not. This device is actually built around a method
of materials analysis known as near-infrared spectroscopy. The physical basis for this material
analysis method is that each type of molecule vibrates in its own unique way, and these
vibrations interact with light to create their own unique optical signature. The device includes a

light source that illuminates the sample and an optical sensor called a spectrometer that collects
the light reflected from the sample. The spectrometer breaks down the light to its spectrum,
which includes all the information required to detect the result of this interaction between the
illuminated light and the molecules in the sample. Spectrometers, which are traditionally used for
these high-end near-infrared spectroscopy applications, are very big and expensive. They can be
the size of a laptop and cost tens of thousands of dollars. But, these pocket-sized molecular
sensor devices are based on a tiny spectrometer, designed to be mass-produced at low cost, with
minimal compromise on the available application. Compared to the traditional spectrometers and
molecular sensors, these pocket size molecular sensors are really cheap ($200- $400). due to the
years of research and development conducted by engineers.
Photo: 1.Light from the device hit the molecules of the object 2.Optical Sensor: breaking
light into spectrum. The visible light spectrum is shown here for illustrative purposes.
The present pocket molecular sensors also come with smartphone apps. These applications
allow for the data of the sensor to be analyzed. To deliver scan analysis information in real time,
the device communicates the spectrum to a device via Bluetooth, which it then forwards to a
cloud-based service. From there, advanced algorithms analyze the spectrum, and deliver
information regarding the analyzed sample back to the smartphone within seconds.

Photo: Molecular sensor Apps
When it comes to the different models, prototypes, and performance, SCIO is the most
technologically advanced. It is the world's first affordable molecular sensor that fits in the palm
of the hand. Every time people use SIiO, they are helping to build a database of knowledge about
the stuff around us.
SCiO Prototypes
Some of the challenges that this device faces include scanning deep into an object, giving
accurate quantified information, and turning this innovative prototype into mass production.
Most of all the biggest challenge is that the device is not completely autonomous. A person must
stop and use the device, rather than have it automatically and seamlessly monitor a person’s diet.

Another technology that is currently under development is the bloodstream molecular
sensor. It involves is a tiny sensor at the nanoscale level that can be injected in the blood, putting
blood under continuous surveillance. That sensor contains wireless capabilities that can be
relayed to a smartphone. This sensor can pick up specific genomic signals. potentially picking up
an event such as a coronary artery rupture, before it happens. This application of a hardware
nanosensor, coupled with a smartphone, would not just be for cardiovascular diagnosis. It is also
predicted for use in the immune system and cancer detection.. This sensor has a chip that is 90
microns in size and is promising for the future to be able to quantify the amount of food we eat.
The biggest challenge would be to accurately pick up signals.
HISTORY
Include some older milestones too, such as development of spectrometer, etc.
Molecular sensor:
 Sep 11, 1990: Molecular sieve sensors are patent for selective detection at the nanogram
level
 September 16, 1992: Sensor are patented for ultra-low concentration molecular recognition.
 2005: American chemical society develops Sensor Molecules that Display FeIII-amplified
Fluorescence.
 2011: Designer Junhyuan Kim develops “elephant nose” which can identify genetically
modifies organism.
 2014: A company using the crowd funding site Indigogo attempted to develop pocket
molecular sensors, but were unsuccessful.

 2014: MIT develops chip sensor that can tell smartphone when food goes bad by detecting
specific gases with the help of Carbon Nanotubes.
 2014: Tel Aviv Based company consumer physics. Inc. develops Scio pocket molecular
sensor which can successfully detects molecules from food.
Future
The “HANT”, short for Health and Nutrition Tracker, is a 2025 device that keeps track of
your food and drink intake making dieting and diabetic control easier than ever possible before.
What is it?
The HANT allows individuals to track exactly what they consume using a three part system:
1) Two small brackets fitted to a molar used to attach a spectrometer sensor. This sensor
determines what food the user consumes.
2) A pill that is swallowed weekly that creates a small ring sensor on the walls of the esophagus.
This nanoscale mechanism measures the expansion of the esophagus. With the use of
algorithms, this device will be able to measure the volume of food eaten.
3) A smart accessory device like the watch seen today is used to measure activity. This
technology records calories burned, and also aggregates all the data form the other two parts.
The watch like mechanism shows charts and organized graphs of what was eaten, what it was
made of,And how many calories a person has left to eat that day, based on health goals.
Part one is a sensor, snapped into a bracket, embedded onto an individual’s back molars,
scanning samples of food and liquids in the mouth. The sensor consists of a nanoscale
spectrometer and Bluetooth. The spectrometer uses near-infrared waves that are able to “see”

how different molecules vibrate and interact with light. Each sample or food source has its own
unique identity because its contents emit different wavelengths. This is compared to a database in
the accessory device or cloud service, giving identification information to the user
instantaneously. The database will be equipped with a series of algorithms, making sense of the
data collected. With the data from the chips, the smart accessory will show what was eaten, its
different ingredients, and nutritional value. Two sensors will each be placed on the lower most
posterior molars to achieve the best reading possible. Movement of the mouth will generate
power for the sensors so there is no need to worry about charging. The quantity of food being
eaten can be measured due to a mechanism in the esophagus.
Part two, an expanding sensor with Bluetooth technology, attaches onto the walls of the
esophagus just above the lower esophageal sphincter. This mechanism is nanoscale, andis placed
in the esophagus by the action of swallowing a pill. The pill contains a nanoscale plastic ring that
is made of programmable material. This ring is coated in a molecule that is attracted to mucus
and the specific molecular makeup of the inner esophagus. The ring is embedded with sensors
that measure the expansion and contraction of the ring. The pill is coated in an inert matrixthat is
measured to dissolve quickly so that the mechanism will be exposed and ready to attach when it
reaches the right location. The programmable material responds to a liquid and the ring unfolds.
This programmable material is based off of the current ability of technology at MIT. Once the
inert matrix is dissolved, the mechanism will attach to the walls and stick into place. The
molecules are strong enough to hold up the plastic expansion ring for a week. The mixture of
molecules holding the device will have to resist mucus and lubricants normally forcing all
objects into the stomach. After a week all of the nanoscale ring will detach and go through the
digestive system, like another other specimen. A new pill will have to be swallowed if the person

chooses to continue with the diet or healthy lifestyle. The ring mechanism’s power is generated
from the movement of the esophagus and food. The mechanism expands with the esophagus
around the bolus; this expansion measurement is sent to the watch using Bluetooth. Using
advanced calculations and algorithms the accessory device dtermines the volume of food is by
how much the ring expands and for how long it expands Sorry, but this paragraph still needs
work. You are closer, but if I didn’t know what you were talking about, I would have trouble
picturing what you are saying. Just say it….The person digests a pill that dissolves before it
leaves the esophagus. Inside the pill is a safe, miniscule, self-expanding structure, that when
exposed to mucous unfolds into a ring. The ring is coated with proteins, that use poly valency to
attract to specific molecules found only in the membranes of cells on the esophageal sphincter.
The polyvalency is designed to create attractions strong enough to withstand mucous and
esophageal motion, but weak enough that it will stay attached only for a limited time, perhaps 24
hours to a week. The ring contains a sensor that measures…..It is approximately ____, so it can
in no way lodge in the esophagus or cause any health hazards. If for some reason it doesn’t
attach, properly, it easily passes into the stomach and out the digestive system.
The accessory device, part three, has to be worn all day. It is made up of sensors such as
accelerometers recording body movement. Wrist worn mechanisms can record the amount and
type of arm movement, allowing for the amount of exercise to be determined. This accessory is
worn to sense movement and record sleep and exercise also recorded in the app. Most
importantly this accessory is a computer; it receives Bluetooth waves from the chip and the
expanding ring to compile all of this information into data that can be placed into algorithms and
then show actual numbers of calorie intake, and burn. In the future, this accessory does not have

to be a watch. It would be whatever the prevalent personal smart technology device is a the time
(glasses, watch, contact lenses, etc.)
Breakthroughs
Two major breakthroughs are necessary to develop the vision of a fully automated health
and nutrition system. First, the near infrared spectroscopy method needs to be shrunk from
handheld to the size of a tooth. Second, the esophageal ring needs to have a way of attaching to
the esophagus.
Since nanosensors are presently used for various purposes, the challenge is sizing down
the spectrometer to fit comfortably atop a tooth. The actual size would not be much of an issue
because the techniques used to make nanosensors could be applied to the spectroscope elements,
making them smaller. Structural integrity of the spectroscope sensors needs to be taken into
account as well, as to no break when chewing food. The technology doesn’t currently exist at this
size because there is currently no practical application for it.
Moving down a ways into the throat, the challenge is to find a molecular or protein
structure that can attach the esophageal ring to the esophagus for a pre-determined amount of
time. There already exist “Velcro” like proteins, polyvalent molecules, but they would need to
be applied to the ring. A molecular structure would need to be found that could stick to the
esophagus and withstand the continual flow of mucus as well as natural muscle contractions.
Testing cells from the esophagus or even the mucus itself could lead to an answer. When target
cells are discovered, ligands would be developed to bind to the cells and initiate a cell response.
In this scenario the response would be to attach the ring to the esophagus. This cell response
would be on a time release, by the molecule breaking down, or the bonds weakening with time.

This combination of current technologies is what would bring the esophageal ring together as a
complete idea.
DesignProcess
The design process for the idea for the food scanning nanosensor began as an overall idea
of food and health technology. With current technology being a great way to track fitness and
calories burned, there is less of a focus placed on how people track their different nutritional
intake throughout the day.
At first the idea of a collection of multiple sensors recording different data points that
would all be condensed into one documenting system. This would have included sensors in the
soles of shoes, or directly attached to the feet to record weight and changes of weight during
eating, and throughout the day. This would work in unison with the sensor in the mouth to help
calculate a rough prediction of the type of food ingested as well as its quantity. Theses sensors
would then work together with a smartphone, or similar device, to show the user what was in the
food they ate, as well as how much they ate and the overall caloric intake from the meal. This
idea was simply too complicated, mainly because it is inconvenient to the user. If the user wasn’t
standing before and after eating, there would be no weight measurements to calculate the amount
of food eaten. Also, the user would have to wear some type of footwear with the sensors for them
to calculate the weight changes if they were to be standing.
Thinking in terms of convenience we thought about a portable sensor that could be used
to measure food and describe its chemical make up as well as nutritional value. With this concept
there isn’t a way to tell how much food there was, so it would have to be manually entered for a
full caloric value to be calculated. The most attractive part of this idea is the fact that the only

requirement is to keep the device with you when you want to scan the food you eat. It lacks the
value of being useable in a seamless fashion. After a bit more research we came upon the idea of
a way to sense food intake by mouth movements. This was severely lacking because it would
require the user to figure out the caloric value of their food without the help of the device. The
device would only be able to roughly calculate the amount of food that was ingested, but no way
to calculate the caloric intake.
To make a fully interactive and touchless system, multiple measurement points were
required. This led to the final decision of the spectroscope tooth sensors to determine the makeup
of the food and other nutritional intake as well as the esophageal ring to determine the quantity
of food being eaten. This design works well as it communicates information back wirelessly to
the users personal device, allowing for most of the work to be done behind the scenes, and not
have to be done with the sensors themselves, or by the user.
Consequences
As with any great technology there are drawbacks that come along with it. No matter how
careful and what safety approvals are earned, implanting this sensor in a mouth could eventually
lead to unforeseen health problems in the future. It is known that implanting foreign substances
in the body can have adverse and unexpected reactions. With government intervention such as
the FDA and regular testing in labs and experimentation, the risk of a malfunction would be low,
but would still exist. Risk of the sensor moving off the tooth, and a having a person choke or
shallow the device would be a tiny risk. This can be prevented on a large scale by using concrete
to attach it, just like braces, but with all things in life, there are accidents and bizarre things that
will and do go wrong. Another thing to worry about is to make the device waterproof and

durable to withstand everyday use. The sensor itself would have to be able to be brushed and hit.
With years of practice and working on ways to establish the best possible outcome the risk of
bad consequences will be minimized.
This device used with other applicants can help people lose weight or to maintain a
healthy life still, resulting in longer life expectancy, and decreasing obesity. This new technology
will revolutionize dieting and diabetes control. This technology prevents people from cheating,
or quitting a healthy lifestyle because the device is so easy to use and it is harder to cheat and
think you’re not cheating. The implant sensor doesn’t require you to carry anything around
besides a smart accessory. It is a simple way to count calories. It’s accurate, and precise you
cannot just guess how much of a food you ate; and you can also see what ingredients you are
eating. If you find that you are eating a small amount of mushrooms, and you are slightly
allergic, then you can only take that small nibble and stop eating without causing damage or
more damage. Another better way to scan food if you have allergies would be to put the
spectrometer on the outside of your phone or anything you keep on you; to test for allergens in
food without having it in your mouth. There are many easy ways to alter this technology to make
it better for specific health needs and worries.
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