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Object Timeline

  • We acquired this object.

-0001

2013

  • Work on this object began.

2014

2024

  • You found it!

Diagnostic Health-care Device, Kernel of Life (Prototype)

This is a Diagnostic Health-care Device. It was designed by Yves Béhar and manufactured by fuseproject.

This object is not part of the Cooper Hewitt's permanent collection. It was able to spend time at the museum on loan from fuseproject as part of Tools: Extending Our Reach.

It is dated October 2013. Its medium is computer-machined abs plastic, leather, aluminum, paint.

In the developing world, the nearest doctor can be days away, making the diagnosis and treatment of chronic illnesses complicated. With the Kernel of Life, a medical “amulet” that tests blood, saliva, urine, and breath and transmits the results by Bluetooth to a mobile app, patients can be monitored continuously and remotely via the cloud. The superslim, two-inch (5 cm) disk slides open to reveal a microperforated pad divided into a rainbow of quadrants: red for blood, blue for saliva, yellow for urine, and green for breath. The pad separates the biofluids, parses them, and then transmits the data. With the Ker¬nel, digital medical analysis is simplified, embedded into a reusable, self-sterilizing device. Most importantly, users can monitor themselves and receive reminders about medication and treatment. The Kernel helps reduce health-care costs while expanding health coverage to underserved populations around the world, making medical care a cost-effective example of good design.

It is credited Courtesy of Gates Foundation and WIRED magazine.

Our curators have highlighted 2 objects that are related to this one.

Its dimensions are

H x W x D (overall w/ cord): 26 × 6.7 × 1.3 cm (10 1/4 × 2 5/8 × 1/2 in.) H x W x D (amulet): 5.4 × 5.4 × 0.9 cm (2 1/8 × 2 1/8 × 3/8 in.)

We have 1 video that features Diagnostic Health-care Device, Kernel of Life (Prototype).

LiDAR on Mount Rushmore

A video showing how LiDAR technology was used to create a hi-res virtual model of Mount Rushmore, and how it's used in historic preservation and public education efforts.

This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition Tools: Extending Our Reach.

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian’s Terms of Use page.

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<ref name=CH>{{cite web |url=https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/51497555/ |title=Diagnostic Health-care Device, Kernel of Life (Prototype) |author=Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum |accessdate=19 April 2024 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution}}</ref>