You probably don’t grasp the finer points of how quantum mechanics works, but scientists are using its tricky rules to make medicine faster, less painful, and more personalized.

1. 1
Ways That Quantum Technology Could transform Health Care.
By.Dr.Mahboob Khan
You probably don’t grasp the finer points of how quantum
mechanics works, but scientists are using its tricky rules to make
medicine faster, less painful, and more personalized.
In July, the International Conference on Quantum
Technologies brought together the leading minds in physics to
discuss the latest advances in quantum technology. Throughout the
course of the conference, presenters demonstrated cutting-edge
research with implications for everything from data security to IT to
energy. There’s one industry, however, that is especially poised for
massive changes on many levels from quantum technology: health
care. Quantum technology is set to revolutionize the way we think
about health care, medical data, and even our own biology.
Why does quantum technology hold so much promise for health care?
In part, it’s because many cell processes take place at the nanoscale–
the world of atoms and subatomic particles. When you get down to
the nanoscale, matter stops behaving according to the laws of classical
physics and starts demonstrating the unique (and often counter-
intuitive) properties of quantum mechanics.
Using the properties of quantum mechanics, scientists are building
tools that are both ultra-precise and ultra-personalized.
Using the unusual properties of quantum mechanics, the scientists at
the conference (and others from around the world) are building
medical tools, diagnostics, and treatments that are both ultra-precise
and ultra-personalized–tools that will ultimately prolong and improve
our lives. Here are just a few of the most promising breakthroughs on
the horizon.

2. 2
: IMPROVED DISEASE SCREENING AND TREATMENT
Using a relatively new method known as the bio-barcode assay,
scientists can now detect disease-specific clues, or “biomarkers,” in
our blood using gold nanoparticles, which are visible using MRI
technology and have unique quantum properties that allow them to
attach to disease-fighting cells. These gold nanoparticles are
completely safe for human use. This method is also cheaper, more
flexible, and more accurate than conventional alternatives.
Mikhail Lukin, a physics professor at Harvard and expert in quantum
optics and atomic physics, is also working on manipulating nanoscale
particles of diamond for similar purposes. He hopes to eventually use
diamond particles, which are non-toxic, to take images of human cells
from the inside and detect disease without exposing patients to
radiation.
A novel type of quantum-based MRI could be used to look at single
molecules.
Quantum sensors can also improve the MRI machine itself by
allowing for ultra-precise measurements. A novel type of quantum-
based MRI could be used to look at single molecules or groups of
molecules instead of the entire body, giving doctors a far more
accurate picture. Hypres is an example of a company that is working
to retrofit MRI machines to be more sensitive–and to work faster–by
harnessing the supercurrent phenomenon known as the Josephson
effect.
Other quantum-based techniques are also being developed to treat
diseases. For example, gold nanoparticles can be “programmed” to
build up only in tumor cells, allowing for precise imaging as well as
laser destruction of the tumor, without harming healthy cells.
2: NO MORE NEEDLES
Researchers at the University of York have designed a patch that can
be applied to skin in order to deliver targeted therapies sans

3. 3
hypodermic needles. The patch, called Nanject, will be used to deliver
cancer drugs without harming healthy cells.
Here’s how it works: The nanoparticles are coated
in antigens (substances that bind to antibodies) before being
introduced to the body, where they attach to cancer cells. Afterwards,
the patient is treated in an MRI machine that triggers the particles to
heat up and destroy the cancer cells. When the machine is turned off,
the particles cool back down and can be removed from the body
without any harm to the patient.
Here’s another needle-less project we wrote about recently: a patch that
is giving you a constant blood test.
Needle-phobic patients may also be thrilled about this kind of
advancement: the Nanject patch replaces a single syringe with many
tiny ones made of polymer nanofilaments that deliver the medication
through hair follicles.
However, there’s another, perhaps more important, benefit to the
nanotech drug-delivery route: It removes some of the toughest
barriers to distributing medication, particularly in remote and
impoverished areas. With a patch, there is no need for a trained nurse
or doctor to inject medication; it be self-administered by anyone
through a process that’s as simple as sticking on a band-aid. Nanotech
drug delivery also allows for lower doses, since the nanoparticles
aren’t eaten up by stomach acid like pill-based medications. Finally,
treatments like the Nanject can help prevent the spread of disease via
unsterilized needles–a major problem in developing nations.
3: HACKING HUMAN BIOLOGY
Beyond improved disease screening and highly targeted, needle-free
treatments, quantum mechanics holds the potential to provide us with
more information about human biology.
Using quantum computers, we can more quickly sequence DNA and
solve other Big Data problems in health care.

4. 4
Australian scientists recently discovered a way to explore the inner
workings of a living cell using a novel type of laser microscopy that
is built on the principles of quantum mechanics. And using quantum
computers, we can more quickly sequence DNA and solve other Big
Data problems in health care. This opens up the possibility of
personalized medicine based on individuals’ unique genetic makeup.
4: MORE SECURE HEALTH DATA
People want to protect their health data for obvious reasons, so it’s
important to consider all the ways that it can be hacked. In the future,
for example, it may become possible for hackers to retroactively
intercept communications.
One of the quantum conference attendees, Nicolas Gisin, works
with ID Quantique, a company that is using the strange quirks of
quantum phenomena to protect our data in an ultra-secure fashion.
Using quantum entanglement in one of the most practical applications
of the phenomenon to date, quantum cryptography prevents data from
being viewed by anyone other than the intended recipient. ID
Quantique already provides security to banks and governments and
ultimately sees strong potential in the health care industry.
Innovations built on the principles of quantum mechanics hold the
potential to affect health care on nearly every level, from diagnosis
and treatment to data storage and transmission. We need to keep a
close eye on quantum technology and health care–an area that will
benefit from increased funding for research and product development.
We’re on the cusp of some thrilling advancements, and we should all
educate ourselves on how quantum technology will transform health
care in the not-so-distant future.