Every Theranos 2.0 Flag: What Lasers Can—and Can’t—Do

Theranos’ promise and limits

Theranos became a prominent example of technology claims outstripping what the science could support. Its device did not work as advertised, despite the promise of running more than a hundred diagnostic tests from a single drop of blood.

Blood testing can be only one part of a process for ruling out conditions. Finger-prick samples may also be affected by ruptured blood cells, surface contamination or interstitial fluid mixing with blood, which can dilute a sample.

A new venture in the film

Holmes and Evans spend part of You Can See Everything working on Haemanthus, a venture involving a diagnostic device that uses lasers. The film’s official line is that Holmes is not leading the effort, while Evans describes it as “getting the band back together.” The documentary blurs the boundary between truth and deception, making it difficult for viewers to judge whether emerging health technology is promising or misleading. Its central caution is that technology, however sophisticated, is not magic.

What Raman spectroscopy does

A New York Times report cited in the article says Haemanthus uses Raman spectroscopy. The technique does involve lasers, but it is not new: it was discovered in 1928.

Raman spectroscopy can identify chemical structures in molecules and has a range of biological and medical uses, including noninvasive study of tissue samples. The article questions whether it can meet the broader diagnostic claims described in reporting, including identifying biomarkers and using AI to detect diseases.