BIOSENSORS
BIOSENSOR ISSUES
There are many ethics involved in the study of biosensors. From ethical to legal, the study and usage of biosensors will remain a controversial issue. However, there are many positive effects as well as negative effects of these devices, and as more is learned about the biosensor field, improvements will be made that has the potential to revolutionize the medical industry.
Ethical
There are several ethical issues that surround the usage of biosensors. One question is that as more complicated and expensive biosensors are being developed, will only the rich be able to afford these products, leaving the poor to suffer just because they can't afford it? Biosensors, mainly being created in first world countries, will not be easily available to developing countries, who may need these products the most, but are unable to purchase it.
Another ethical issue that revolves around the creation of biosensors is the harming of the environment due to the manufacturing of biosensors. Since biosensors, like most innovations, are not created perfectly on the first try, there are lots of waste and sometimes harmful chemicals and debris that could damage the environment if they are not disposed of correctly and efficiently.
An additional vital ethical issue is data falsification. When authors and scientists publish their findings about biosensors, data falsification is always a major and serious issue. Falsification of data will not only lead to the condemnation of the publisher, but also it will ruin and ridicule previous publications of scientists who have truthfully fulfilled their duty of learning and contributing more to the topic of biosensors.
Social
With the increasing diversity of technology that allows the seemingly tedious and normal jobs to be simplified and worked out by machines, biosensors have the capabilities to create a large amount of job losses. Since biosensors can take over jobs that used to be handled by humans such as radiology and other health related jobs, there is concern that as more biosensors are being manufactured, the amount of jobs being held would decrease, and this would be a problem for many people whose lives are dependent on these jobs.
Legal
One main issue that people have with biosensor devices is the enforcement of the legalities that come with the creation of these innovations. The question of "who will enforce the rules concerning biosensors" frequently comes up. Since the biosensor field is a fairly new topic, biosensor policies are not strictly governed, and as a result this has caused much concern to whether the unethical use of biosensors will yield punishment.
Patents are a must for creators that want to make sure their works are not stolen and profited by someone else. However, some biosensor devices, like most things, may not be cleared for being cleared in order for a patent to be assigned. The reasons may be because it is not clearly distinguishable from another similar device or it may not be deemed useful for the public, and this may prevent the creation of many potential devices that could change the lifestyles of the majority.
