Star Trek-Like Tricorders Revolutionize Digital Healthcare
Research teams have been working on the creation of a mobile diagnostic device inspired by the fictional medical Tricorder from Star Trek. The devices bring fiction to reality and innovative medical diagnostic solutions to the health industry.
The Star Trek series have been a source of inspiration for researchers, engineers, and designers once again.
Qualcomm, a global leading semiconductors and telecommunications equipment company that designs and markets wireless telecommunications products and services, ran a $10 million global competion to put healthcare in the palm of your hand.
The technology envisioned by Qualcomm will be able to allow unprecedental access to personal health metrics bringing innovation in healthcare, and giving individuals choices in when, where, and how they receive care.
According to the Qualcomm Tricorder XPrize device requirements, the research teams were expected to develop a device with the following characteristics:
- The device cannot weight more than five pounds
- It has to be able to diagnose 13 medical conditions
- It has to capture five real-time health vital signs
A tricorder-like medical diagnostic device will have an array of benefits for patients and medical practitioners alike around the world.
A medical portable device of such characteristics could aid and expand the reach of medical testing in countless limited-resource areas around the world, areas that lack or have limited access to well-equipped and staffed clinical labs.
A real-life tricorder medical device would make testing more convenient, and less invasive. In the near future, patients will get treatment faster, potentially saving lives. In many cases, patients will be using the device themselves as long as it is connected to their smartphone, adding to the Internet of Things (IoT) explosion of connected deviced. Daily decision-making will be easier and more accurate with the right health information right at your fingertips.
Special Session at the 69th AACC Annual Scientific Meeting and Clinical Lab Espo: A Conversation with Qualcomm Tricorder XPrize Innovators
Two teams from the Qualcomm Tricorder XPrize competition, a finalist and a semi-finalist, will present their research and prototypes in an interactive special session on July 31st, 2017 at the 69th AACC Annual Scientific Meeting and Clinical Lab Expo in San Diego, California.
Finalist Taiwan-based Dynamical Biomarkers Group led by Dr. Chung-Kang Peng, PhD, will present research data on the tricorder prototype developed by his team as well as sharing the inspiration for their device.
The semi-finalist presenting is Eugene Chan, MD, Chief Executive Officer and Head Scientist at DNA Medicine Institute. The other finalist is US-based Final Frontier Medical Devices led by Basil Harris, PhD. The grant will be awarded by Qualcomm Tricorder XPrize and Nokia Sensing XChallenge.
In addition to presenting their research on mobile diagnostic devices, which were judged for their diagnostic accuracy and user experience, the innovators will discuss the imminent potential future of their inventions, as well as the hurdles they encountered during their work.
Special Session at the 69th AACC Annual Scientific Meeting and Clinical Lab Espo: A Conversation with Qualcomm Tricorder XPrize Innovators
Two teams from the Qualcomm Tricorder XPrize competition, a finalist and a semi-finalist, will present their research and prototypes in an interactive special session on July 31st, 2017 at the 69th AACC Annual Scientific Meeting and Clinical Lab Expo in San Diego, California.
Finalist Taiwan-based Dynamical Biomarkers Group led by Dr. Chung-Kang Peng, PhD, will present research data on the tricorder prototype developed by his team as well as sharing the inspiration for their device.
The semi-finalist presenting is Eugene Chan, MD, Chief Executive Officer and Head Scientist at DNA Medicine Institute. The other finalist is US-based Final Frontier Medical Devices led by Basil Harris, PhD. The grant will be awarded by Qualcomm Tricorder XPrize and Nokia Sensing XChallenge.
In addition to presenting their research on mobile diagnostic devices, which were judged for their diagnostic accuracy and user experience, the innovators will discuss the imminent potential future of their inventions, as well as the hurdles they encountered during their work.
Star Trek-like Tricorders: From fiction to reality: The devices competing for the Qualcomm Tricorder XPrize
Finalist: Dynamical Biomarkers Group’s tricorder prototype
Dr. Chung-Kang Peng's Dynamical Biomarkers Group has developed a system of three modules: Smart Vital-Sense Monitor; Smart Blood-Urine Test Kit; Smart Scope Module. The modules incorporated innovative hardware, technologies for physiologic signal analysis, image processing, and biomarker detection. They have been designed in a way that allows consumers to use them in a simple and intuitive way, as they are wirelessly connected to a smartphone, which runs a user-friendly app with an intelligent and interactive screening process that guides the users through simple steps to carry out specific tests to generate disease diagnosis.
Semifinalist: DxtER, Final Frontier Medical Devices’ tricorder prototype
Dr. Basil Harris' team created DxtER (pronounced Dexter), a tricorder prototype, DxtER is a consumer product designed to monitor your health and diagnose illnesses in the comfort of your own home. DxtER functions autonomously, but can also share important information with your healthcare providers. At the heart of DxtER is an artificially intelligent engine that learned to diagnose by integrating years of experience in clinical emergency medicine with data analysis from actual patients having a variety of medical conditions and outcomes. DxtER is packed with a collection of non-invasive sensors custom-designed to collect data about your vital signs, body chemistry, and biological functions. The diagnostic engine synthesizes your health data to make a quick and accurate assessment.
The final frontier: Revolutionizing digital healthcare
The Qualcomm Tricorder XPrize has been thought to bringing healthcare to the next level by letting individuals take charge of their health.
The winner will be announced at the 69th AACC Annual Scientific Meeting and Clinical Lab Expo, the largest and most recognized international forum for unveiling vital science and groundbreaking advances in laboratory medicine that will take place from July 30th to August 3rd at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California.
About the Creator
Susan Fourtané
Susan Fourtané is a Science and Technology Journalist, a professional writer with 18 years experience writing for global media and industry publications. She's a member of the ABSW, WFSJ, Society of Authors, and London Press Club.
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