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1/23/2018 Overview | Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE

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OVERVIEW
The Prize: Empowering Personal Healthcare

The Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE is a $10 million global competition to stimulate innovation and
integration of precision diagnostic technologies, helping consumers make their own reliable health
diagnoses anywhere, anytime.

The dire need for improvements in personal health and healthcare in the U.S. has captured the
attention of government, industry, and private citizens for years. But a viable solution has evaded
the most technologically advanced, educated and prosperous nations on the globe. Integrated
diagnostic technology--once available on a consumer mobile device that is easy to use--will allow
individuals to incorporate health knowledge and decision-making into their daily lives.

Advances in elds such as arti cial intelligence, wireless sensing, imaging diagnostics, lab-on-a-
chip, and molecular biology will enable better choices in when, where, and how individuals receive
care, thus making healthcare more convenient, a ordable, and accessible. The winner will be the
team with the technology that most accurately diagnoses a set of diseases independent of a
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1/23/2018 Overview | Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE

healthcare professional or facility, and that provides the best consumer user experience with its
device.

The $10 million Prize Purse will be awarded as follows: 

Best-in-Category Prize: US$6 million will be awarded to the best scoring team meeting or
exceeding 70% accuracy in diagnosis for all 10 core and 3 elective conditions

Second-Best-in-Category Prize: US$2 million will be awarded to the second best scoring team
meeting or exceeding 70% accuracy in diagnosis for all 10 core and 3 elective conditions

Vital Signs in Category Prize: US$1 million will be awarded to the team with best vital score this
includes upload and accuracy

The Milestone Awards: US$1 million, awarded in Q4 2016, Teams demonstrated (via lab testing
and actual human testing) achievement in accuracy for the Competition re-entry criteria

The winning teams are:

Lab Test Demonstration Milestone: Team Danvantri (India), Team DMI (USA), Team
Dynamical Biomarkers Group (Taiwan), Team Final Frontier Medical Devices (US), Team
Intelesens-Scanadu (United Kingdom)
Tricorder Human Quali cation Milestone: Team Dynamical Biomarkers Group (Taiwan) and
Team Final Frontier Medical Devices (US)

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The Device Itself

As envisioned for this competition, the device will be a tool capable of capturing key health metrics
and diagnosing a set of 12 diseases. Metrics for health could include such elements as blood
pressure, respiratory rate, and temperature. Ultimately, this tool will collect large volumes of data
from ongoing measurement of health states through a combination of wireless sensors, imaging
technologies, and portable, non-invasive laboratory replacements.

The devices are expected to accurately diagnose 13 health conditions (12 diseases and the
absence of conditions) – 10 required core conditions and a choice of three elective conditions – in
addition to capturing ve real-time health vital signs, independent of a health care worker or
facility, and in a way that provides a compelling consumer experience.

Required Core Health Conditions (10): Anemia, Atrial Fibrillation (AFib), Chronic Obstructive
Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Diabetes, Leukocytosis, Pneumonia, Otitis Media, Sleep Apnea, Urinary
Tract Infection, Absence of condition.

Elective Health Conditions (Choice of 3): Cholesterol Screen, Food-borne Illness, HIV Screen,
Hypertension, Hypothyroidism/Hyperthyroidism, Melanoma, Mononucleosis, Pertussis (Whooping
Cough), Shingles, Strep Throat.

Required Health Vital Signs (5): Blood Pressure, Heart Rate, Oxygen Saturation, Respiratory Rate,
Temperature.

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1/23/2018 Overview | Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE

Given that each team will take its own approach to design and functionality, the device's physical
appearance and functionality may vary immensely from team to team. Indeed, the only stated
limit on form is that the mass of its components together must be no greater than ve (5) pounds.
But because an important part of the qualifying round will be evaluating consumer experience in
using it, the limitations set by this competition will force teams to make choices. Teams will have to
consider tradeo s amongst weight, functionality, power requirements, battery life, screen
resolution, AI engine location, diagnosis capability, end consumer cost, and so on.

Beyond the weight requirement, there is no limit as to how many discrete components constitute
a viable solution. For example, teams may use sensors that are attached to a phone-like control
unit, fastened individually to the consumer, or kept apart and reserved for occasional use or home
monitoring. Similarly, teams may create a tool that has a large screen, a small screen, or perhaps
even no screen (audio only). Systems must include a way for consumers to store and share their
information, which must be accessible remotely via the Internet. Additionally, teams are expected
to follow guidelines and protocols that help ensure that consumer safety is held in the highest
regard. This includes avoiding harm from electrical energy, thermal energy, chemical exposures,
needles, lancets, and infection.

As part of the Final Round, teams will compete in both diagnostic experience evaluations and
consumer testing, slated for late 2016. The nal judging and awards ceremony is scheduled to take
place in 2017.

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Throughout the competition, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is o ering regulatory
input to the competing teams and helping them prepare for potential FDA review post-
competition.

The Need for the Prize

In virtually every industry, end consumer needs drive advances and improvements. Except in
healthcare. Very few methods exist for consumers to receive direct medical care without seeing a
healthcare professional at a clinic or hospital, creating an access bottleneck. Despite substantial
investment to improve the status quo, even average levels of service, e ciency, a ordability,
accessibility, and satisfaction remain out of reach for many whom the system was intended to
help. A prize is thus sorely needed.

In response to this widespread need, the Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE will:

Address the dual challenge of a) transforming healthcare by turning the "art" of medicine into
a science, and b) making health an integrated part of individuals' daily lives.
Tackle needed breakthroughs in sensing technologies, technological integration, regulatory
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acceptance, and the perception that healthcare should be controlled by only a few skilled
parties. ABOUT NEWS TEAMS

Incentivize teams to focus on a) precision diagnosis and measurement that is independent of


healthcare institutions/professionals and on b) consumer needs/adoption.

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Facilitate necessary partnerships and regulatory pathways required for this major
transformation.
Inspire a future where consumers demand the tools to assess and manage their health
independent of a hospital or doctor's o ce.
Spark the creation of markets and products that o er medical detection, prevention, and
management, as well as more complete diagnostics.

Genesis of the Competition

Each year, the XPRIZE Foundation gathers thought leaders from around the world, for a 3-day
summit called Visioneering, to debate and brainstorm solutions to the world’s “Grand Challenges”
through incentivized prize competitions. During one session in 2010, The Arti cial Intelligence (AI)
Physician and Lab-on-a-Chip prizes were conceived. Immediately, it became clear these two
concepts complemented each other and should be combined into one prize with a new and
unique focus on consumer needs rather than a device for clinicians and doctors.

It was envisioned that this hand-held consumer device would allow individuals to access the state
of their own health anytime, anywhere, and potentially revolutionize how people could interact
with the healthcare system. Contributing to both prize development and the architecture of prize
design was Dr. Daniel Kraft, a Stanford and Harvard-trained physician-scientist with over 20 years
of experience in clinical practice, biomedical research and innovation.

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In early December 2010, Dr. Peter H. Diamandis, the Founder and Executive Chairman of the
XPRIZE Foundation, met with Don Jones, Vice President of Global Strategy and Market
Development for Qualcomm Incorporated’s Wireless Health group, now Qualcomm Life, Inc.
During these conversations, the scope of the prize began to rapidly take form. Mr. Jones saw how
the prize conceptually would lead to development of a device akin to the famous Star Trek
“Tricorder,” and initiated a meeting with Dr. Paul E. Jacobs, Qualcomm Chairman and CEO and
Qualcomm Foundation Chair.

Dr. Jacobs immediately saw the potential value of the competition. Following initial prize
development underwritten by Qualcomm, the Qualcomm Foundation agreed to sponsor the
competition, enabling the Tricorder XPRIZE to become a reality, culminating in the launch of the
Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE competition at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January 2012.
The announcement of the prize was made during Dr. Paul Jacobs’ keynote address. Dr. Diamandis
joined Dr. Jacobs on stage to introduce the competition. By launching this incentivized
competition, the XPRIZE Foundation and the Qualcomm Foundation seek to make 23rd century
science ction a 21st century medical reality that will empower consumers to take control of their
own healthcare, improving the quality of life for people everywhere.

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