Google has plans to design an ingestible pill that detects the presence of malignant cells and other signs of disease, the company said Tuesday.

The pill would contain tiny magnetic particles that would travel through a patient’s bloodstream and register the presence of chemicals or cells associated with diseases like cancer on a little device, the Associated Press reports. The goal would be to allow patients to monitor their health in real-time to catch a potential illness before it’s even diagnosable.

The project, announced at a tech conference organized by the Wall Street Journal, is the latest life sciences innovation from the Google X facility. The secret research center, home of Google Glass, previously revealed a partnership with pharmaceutical company Novartis to create smart contact lenses that monitor diabetics’ blood sugar levels.

[AP]

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