Howhorrible it would beifthe patientcouldn'tcommunicateyetcouldunderstandthepeople standing aroundhis hospital bed, talking about him as ifhe were dead.
"When you understandthe patient's genetic profile, you could figure out all the right drugs and timing and administer them directly, " says Langer, who as a cofounder stands to profit if the device makes it to market.
Dr Lawrence Buckman, a member of the British Medical Association (BMA) GPs' committee, said he couldunderstand why any patient facing a long wait might want to go abroad.