When Gene Roddenberry created Star Trek back in the 60’s, I’m not sure he would have believed anyone. If they told him, he would be shaping the Future world culture and technology. With touch screen devices, flip back mobile devices and now it looks like the Medical Tricorder will be the next device to come into reality.
A hand held device very similar to the tricoder in the Star Trek series very soon could be a reality. Such devices could revolutionize health care.
The Challenge: The X Prize Foundation, along with Qualcomm, is offering a $10 million prize to the person who can build such a device. There are, of course, conditions. The winning design will be a mobile platform that most accurately diagnoses a set of 15 diseases across 30 consumers in three days. The device must capture such variables as blood pressure and temperature, while displaying data in a “compelling” way. The design should also help the user to assess health conditions, determine if they need professional help and answer the question “what do I do next?”.
It didn’t take long for some enterprising folks to step up with a solution.
The Solutions: One group of scientists are submitting devices that utilize T-Ray or Terahertz waves to do such imaging and take such readings as the challenge suggest. Due to recent break though in nano tech future Terahertz Wave technology and systems can be smaller and more portable. Offering a mass production and reduction in cost as well for hand held devices.
One of the issues with this solution is this technology, only will work at very low temperatures and consumes large quantities of energy despite their low output.
This solutions looks to be the most promising offered so far, however more work will need to be done to improve the technology before fielding such a device.
Another group of scientists, are suggesting that screens on smartphones, and other electronic devices work by sensing electronic charges from the user’s body as it comes in contact to the screen.
Sources: WSJ, Examiner, FrenchTribune, Qualcomm, NewElectronics