An enterprising $10m

First seen in 1966, Dr McCoy's tricorder was a regular Star Trek gadget used to diagnose illnesses by scanning a body. A prize is now on offer for such a device. The Qualcomm Tricorder X PRIZE is a $10 million global competition to stimulate innovation and integration of precision diagnostic technologies, making reliable health diagnoses available directly to people in their homes. The winning device will be a tool capable of capturing key health metrics and diagnosing a set of 15 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. I might be suspicious if the prize is won by Vulcan Healthcare Developments Inc.