$10 Million Qualcomm Tricorder X PRIZE

There are some exciting new developments brewing in the field of medicine.   As healthcare as a whole tends to be on the conservative side of implementing new technology, it is exciting when new developments come along.  One of these is currently being developed is the Qualcomm Tricorder, a winner of the $10 million prize going to the best developer will be crowned in January 2016.  This Tricorder is slated to be a personal diagnostic tool, something similar to a primary care physician in your pocket.

An initial concern of mine is that the development of personal diagnostic tools such as these might lead individuals to render a primary care physician unnecessary.  These tools may lure patients into an overestimation of the knowledge of the extent of their illness, failing to string together the diagnostic clues that a physician would be able to detect.  Ideally, these tools would be supplemental to regular check-ups by a primary care physician and provide quick and easy additional information during the check-up.  

The creator of Xprise, Peter Diamandis, is a physician who graduated from Harvard Medical School.  However, he always had a keen interest for space exploration, and his first Xprise fundraising event was to help develop the technology used for personal space exploration that is seen today.  His passion attracted the help from millionaires and billionaires such as Tony Robbins and Elon Musk.

Dr. Diamandis' efforts show that you don't necessarily have to have the money to develop great ideas, only the passion and consistency to get others to participate in the fruition of your vision.  He also is another model of the diversity of fields that a physician can enter whether that is technology, design, research, etc.  As the technology in the health care field continues to evolve, we may see a radically different healthcare system years down the line.  Hopefully, this new technology serves as a tool for regular health monitoring and a desire to adopt healthy lifestyles, as will be able to easily visualize any small progression in their health using the hand held device.