A lot of the things they've claimed to be developing (microfluidic devices, signal amplification strategies, novel assays, etc.) are totally patentable. Maybe they don't want to reveal their secrets to inhibit competition, but in medicine you have to prove the thing works before you actually use the thing.

I don't much care if they want to hide some aspects of how their process works, but under no circumstances should anyone in this space operate without conclusively, publicly and openly proving that the technology works. The standard for that is scientific publication, and the ability of disinterested parties to test the equipment and verify it does what it claims to do.

Plenty of medical/biotech/diagnostics companies have cleared that bar while maintaining trade secrets. Theranos should be submitted to the same standards, and as far as I can tell, whenever they have been tested, they have failed.