Why did Theranos Edison not work?
One of the big problems that never was solved for Theranos was the equipment needed a specific volume, and since Holmes was set on using a blood prick they would have to dilute the blood, which would skew the data on analysis(6).
How does Theranos technology work?
Theranos claimed its technology was able to run a wide range of blood tests from a finger prick test, with just as much accuracy as a traditional test. The samples were collected inside a device called a nanotainer, which was then processed within a device called the Edison machine.
How did Theranos Edison work?
The technology was two-fold: It involved a device called a nanotainer, which was used to collect blood through a finger prick. The blood would then be tested by another device, called the Edison.
How many tests could Theranos actually do?
In reality, Theranos couldn’t perform more than 12 tests on its Edison devices, former lab associate Erika Cheung told the jury earlier in the trial. Even then, “the Edison analyzer could only run one type of test for one patient at a given time,” Cheung said when she took the stand in September.
Did Theranos blood tests work?
What’s more, Theranos said dozens of tests could be run on one drop of blood alone, and these tests would cost a fraction of traditional lab work. But famously, Theranos’s house of cards came tumbling down. The microwave-sized machine that supposedly could run these tests, dubbed the “Edison,” simply did not work.
What is the Edison machine?
Technology and products Theranos claimed to have developed devices to automate and miniaturize blood tests using microscopic blood volumes. Theranos dubbed its blood collection vessel the “nanotainer” and its analysis machine the “Edison”.
What went wrong with Theranos?
In March 2018 the US Securities and Exchange Commission charged Theranos, its CEO Elizabeth Holmes and former president Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani, claiming they had engaged in an “elaborate, years-long fraud” wherein they “deceived investors into believing that its key product – a portable blood analyzer – could conduct …
Why does Elizabeth Holmes have a deep voice?
Her voice has been called into question, with former acquaintances suggesting its noticable deep tone is not real. One said out of the public eye it “lapsed into a more natural-sounding young woman’s voice”. It has been alleged she faked her tone to impress male business associates.
How does Theranos’ Edison Machine work?
The specifics of how those Edison machines work is a mystery, and in reality, the process would be different for each test that Theranos offers. The technology that provides the ability to work with tiny flows of fluid is called microfluidics. But each test would require a different process.
How accurate are Theranos’ Edison tests?
While Holmes has said the company has proof that its tests are as accurate as traditional ones, we’re still waiting to see it. The specifics of how those Edison machines work is a mystery, and in reality, the process would be different for each test that Theranos offers.
Can Theranos use nanotainers to conduct tests?
For now, Theranos is only using those nanotainers commercially for the one test Theranos has received FDA approval for, a test for the herpes simplex 1 virus. Until FDA approval is granted for additional tests, Theranos is conducting the majority of its tests using traditional venous blood draws, with a needle in the arm.
Does Theranos have a breakthrough technology that can do hundreds of tests?
It still remains possible that Theranos has discovered a breakthrough technology that can do hundreds of lab tests on a drop of fluid from a patient’s finger.