Medical tricorder

An inducement prize from Qualcomm of , the Qualcomm Tricorder X Prize that was announced in 2012, has spurred the scientific and medical communities in a global competition. featuring 230 teams from 30 countries According to the prize guidelines, the device should diagnose 15 different medical conditions, including a sore throat to sleep apnea to colon cancer. The prize will be awarded partially on the basis of which invention has the most consumer friendly interface. To win the prize, a successful medical tricorder will have to diagnose these conditions across "30 people in 3 days". ==Functions of a medical tricorder==

There is agreement that a device should be able to do the following: • Diagnose disease. • Show ongoing personal health metrics such as heart rate. • Monitor ongoing health. • Summarize a person's state of health. • Confirm quickly if a person is healthy or not. This function would be similar to the check engine light on a car. ==How it might work==

In 2012, there are devices built for medical professionals to analyze specific diseases or take specific health measurements, but there is not one all-purpose consumer device to diagnose a variety of conditions. A second report confirms that sensitive electronic "noses" may detect infections such as pneumonia from a person's exhaled breaths. ==Similar devices==

There are reports that medical tricorders may emerge from "diagnostic medical apps" via Tablet Computers and smartphones. Some existing smartphones have been used as medical devices in the sense that text reminders have been sent to a patient about prescription renewals, and downloadable apps allow cameras in cell phones to act as sensors to track heart and breathing rates. Some apps take advantage of sensors built into the smartphone hardware, such as a microphone, camera, GPS, accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, proximity sensor, luxmeter, and sensors for temperature and humidity. The United States Department of Homeland Security has announced a "standoff patient triage tool" which is laser-based which helps medics evaluate a patients' vital signs wirelessly from away. ==In the marketplace==

There are reports of products in development and in the marketplace. • Scanadu. A device made by the firm Scanadu is a small hand-held sensor which is put next to a patient's forehead which detects vital signs such as heart rate, breathing rate, blood oxygenation, pulse transmit time and temperature, and has electrodes to measure heart signals, and works in conjunction with a mobile app. The firm reportedly raised $1,664,574 from 8,500 backers through crowdfunding. Reporters described the Scanadu Scout: • QuantuMDx Group. This British biotech firm is developing a device described as a "handheld DNA lab" to analyze malaria; the firm is raising capital by means of crowd funding. It developed a virus detection device called Q-POC which breaks open cells to analyze their DNA. • Ibis Biosciences. This firm has developed an analysis machine that can "identify about 1,000 of the most common disease-causing bacteria, viruses and fungi within a few hours of taking a patient's blood sample" by comparing the genetic fingerprints of pathogens against a reference database. • Verily Life Sciences announced a project called "Tricorder" in 2014, but as of 2016 development is "floundering". • TRIMprob (Tissue Resonance InterferoMeter Probe) is a portable system for non-invasive diagnosis of biological diseases invented by Italian physicist Clarbruno Vedruccio. It consists of a computer-controlled radio frequency interferometer detecting differences in electromagnetic properties in cancerous tissue. • Standoff Patient Triage Tool (SPTT) takes key physiological readings necessary to any diagnosis—pulse, body temperature, and respiration. SPTT uses a technology known as laser Doppler vibrometry, which has been used in aircraft and automotive components, acoustic speakers, radar technology, and landmine detection. When connected to a camera, the vibrometer can measure the velocity and displacement of vibrating objects. An algorithm then converts those data points into measurements emergency medical responders can use in their rapid assessment of a patient's critical medical conditions. • Berkeley Tricorder A research project funded by the NIH which was capable of measuring a subject's ECG, EMG, Blood Oxygenation, Respiration (via Bioimpedance), and motion; open-sourced on completion. • Tricorder.Zero As of 2025, a proof-of-concept prototype raising on WeFunder in advance of a planned crowdfunding campaign and accepting pre-orders for an estimated "Q1 2026" planned shipping timeframe, this 7-sensor fully-integrated health & fitness tracker seems to be the first upcoming consumer electronics device (in design and features, compared to other “tricorders” that are medical devices) seeking to be a true tricorder. ==References==