Release date: 2015-04-22
This summer, a competition for the development of a medical trilogy (Tricorder) sponsored by Qualcomm will soon come to an end. Organizers said that the winning entries will soon enter the United States.
In January 2012, the Qualcomm Foundation sponsored a three-and-a-half-year global competition. The competition aims to encourage the development of a device similar to the medical "Tricorder" in the movie "Star Trek", making the three-recorder in science fiction a technological reality.
The three-recorder in Star Trek is a universal tool that senses the surrounding environment, records it and calculates it. It can also detect vital signs, invade operator-specified computer systems, scan the human body to detect patients, and more. In accordance with the requirements of the competition rules, the team will develop mobile devices that are consumer-centric, capable of diagnosing and interpreting 15 physical conditions and collecting five vital indicators.
Rick Valencia, senior vice president of Qualcomm Life, said at the HIMSS15 conference recently: "In the next two years or so, we will have a similar "Star Trek" The handheld diagnostic device in the three recorders."
But the question is whether healthcare providers are interested in this. According to the rules of the competition, the weight of this device cannot exceed 5 pounds. It must be safe, interesting and worthwhile for the user. The ultimate goal is to manage user health.
At last week's HIMSS15 conference, two of the eight teams competing for the award demonstrated their R&D philosophy. In fact, their equipment is not like the three recorders in Star Trek. Why? 1) Their devices have multiple connected devices, not a single device at all; 2) these products do not emit the iconic sound of the three-recorder in the movie; 3) these products are aimed at consumers, not McCoy Doctor (Bones McCoy, character in the movie) or his colleague.
But this is not the key to the problem. Grant Campany, the Qualcomm executive in charge of the competition, said: "When it comes to healthcare, we know that the concept of medical recorders has been around for a long time. Qualcomm also knows that such devices should be directed to consumers. Instead of relying on health care providers, because the healthcare industry is currently facing a shortage of service providers, devices such as the three recorders can enable consumers to access the health care services they need without disturbing their primary needs. Health care doctor."
Campani believes that a mobile health platform like the Three Recorder not only allows patients to get enough information, but also provides doctors and nurses with more data to make better diagnosis and treatment plans. And all this does not require the patient to visit the doctor in person. Campani said: "This technology will have a great impact on the entire world."
The two teams that displayed their products were the Kaul team in Canada and the Danvantri team in India. When the Kaul team showed its product Vitaliti, the current development was a bit of a headache, but the team has solved every part of the problem and is still consolidating and optimizing.
 Kaul said that while seeking FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) approval as a "medical device," they will first provide Vitaliti products as "lifestyle devices." It can take up to 18 months to get FDA approval. The application part of Vitaliti can be downloaded, while other parts need to be purchased at a pharmacy or Amazon website.
 The product presented by the Danvantri team is called "Treknosis" and is made up of a series of sensors and a matchbox-sized device. The device not only tracks the user's vital signs, diagnoses them, but also allows programming via APIs as needed.
 This is perhaps the most important feature of such devices. This three-recorder competition is very interesting and even has a whimsical feeling that it wants to bring the future of healthcare to home. For consumers who want to monitor their health or fitness, these products may attract their attention. But with the emergence of a series of new technology devices, such as wearable devices and smart watches, the ability to attract the interest of ordinary consumers does not necessarily attract the attention of health care institutions.
 When these devices are officially sold to the public, it is important to emphasize the ability to connect with healthcare providers. It's great to be able to understand all of this at home. As a consumer, you have mastered this new data, but you still need a doctor or expert to turn that data into meaningful information.
 This is why Star Trek is holding a three-recorder by Dr. McCoy, not a patient.
Source: Singularity Network
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