At first glance, Tricorder.Zero appears to be yet another fitness app in an increasingly saturated market. But far from it, says founder Dr Marcus Soori, the platform is taking health and fitness tracking to a whole new level.
The man behind Tricorder.Zero, Dr Marcus Soori, was still in medical school when the seed of the idea was planted; to create a device that would increase efficiency and reduce costs of healthcare while also improving patient outcomes and experiences.
The result is a platform that incorporates seven of the most common sensors used in clinical diagnosis, allowing users to record their health data and share it with their doctors and healthcare professionals for a more accurate diagnosis.
And with patent-pending status on a further 12 concepts, there’s much more on the horizon, Dr Soori, founder and CEO of O/D Vision Inc – the company behind Tricorder.Zero™, tells HT World.
Can you tell us a bit about what inspired Tricorder.Zero and the idea behind it?
While in medical school, I was fortunate to assist in scientific and clinical research at the country’s top eye institute, Bascom-Palmer at the University of Miami.
During my experience, I realised the cost of diagnostic innovations (not just in R&D, but in the eventual testing costs borne by patients out of pocket or via health insurance premium payments) was far too high, and did not benefit those with some of the most common maladies.
From this realisation came the seed of inspiration to one day create an affordable and multi-featured diagnostic device that could reduce costs and increase efficiency in healthcare, benefiting all stakeholders.
Health tracking is a crowded space right now. What makes Tricorder.Zero stand out from the countless other apps on the market?
Tricorder.Zero™ is not simply an app, nor simply a device, nor a simple combination of the two.
Typical devices have one or two sensors; Tricorder.Zero™ has seven of the most common sensors used in clinical diagnosis, some of which can also be used for fitness tracking.
A device user may track data on their own, evaluating how their future health changes from their initial baselines.
In addition, they may send their recorded or real-time data to a telehealth provider or fitness trainer for remote consultation.
The device may be used in device-only mode with an app on the device’s touchscreen, or in app-controlled mode via a cell phone app, depending on the user’s preference.
The device also includes medication-tracking and secure records storage features.
Over time, new features such as AI data analysis and recommendations to users and providers, telehealth appointments from the app, pharmacy-connected renewal reminders, and provider-connected patient-centred health record centralisation will be released as well.
Tricorder.Zero™ is protected by two US patents (international applications pending), plus patent-pending status on over 12 concepts with multiple non-provisional PCT applications filed.
How can this information then be used to help healthcare professionals, and of course, patients?
Numerous GPs, family practice physicians, and specialty physicians, as well as future users, were consulted in the development of this HaaS (hardware-as-a-service) solution.
There is a great need to make healthcare more efficient, especially in the telehealth space.
The ‘FaceTime-only’ nature of telehealth calls leads to billions in waste when patients need in-office follow-ups so that physicians may combine objective sensor data with the subjective patient statements in order to make an accurate diagnosis, which is a requirement to provide the full breadth of prescription, testing, referral, and treatment options available for a given condition.
Allowing patients to remain at home and receive a similar quality of care for diagnosis of many conditions also saves patients time and money (travel, waiting room, childcare, work leave, etc.).
All of the stakeholders to whom we have presented our vision are excited to experience our solution.
What have been the biggest challenges you have faced on this journey so far ?
Our expected challenges are typical of devices in this space, and include electronics certifications as well as regulatory clearance by bodies such as the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA).
Further, records security will be assured with our adherence to US Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) data security standards and related country-specific requirements.
Are there any plans for the integrating of other sensors or health tracking applications in the future?
Numerous years into the future, we plan to integrate a glucometer, a basic blood analyser, and FDA-approved AI-assisted diagnosis into a later version of the device.
In the near-term, we plan to integrate nutrition tracking and recommendations into our app.
What can we expect from Tricorder.Zero for the remainder of 2023/into 2024?
Our WeFunder.com equity crowdfunding campaign will launch on 1 November, the purpose of which is to raise funds for adverts supporting a Kickstarter.com campaign, where we project presales of at least 5,000 units to validate demand.
We plan to launch our Kickstarter campaign over the next three to six months.
Over the next year, we plan to secure letters of intent and contracts from health insurers and national health systems, and significant additional funding to develop a mass production version of the device, Tricorder.One™.
