i-calQ's Smartphone-Based Diagnostic Testing Makes Finals of Nokia Sensing XCHALLENGE

Innovative sensing technology makes essential diagnostic tests available

anywhere, anytime… using a smartphone.

A new technology developed by award-winning inventor Dr. Joel Ehrenkranz and the team at i-calQ has just received international recognition by a panel of industry experts as one of 12 finalists in the Nokia Sensing XCHALLENGE (a new XPRIZE competition focused on health sensors).

How i-calQ is changing mHealth… for the better

i-calQ’s portability will change the face of public health, making it possible to provide critical diagnostic testing in third world countries, remote rural areas, and underdeveloped areas where poverty reduces access to doctors.

i-calQ performs essential diagnostic tests on a smartphone that are normally done in a medical laboratory. A drop of blood or saliva is collected and then analyzed using the smartphone’s camera lens. Unlike traditional lab tests, which often take days, the results of the i-calQ testing are available in minutes. Physicians and consumers can easily perform the tests, and when the test is complete, the results can be immediately added to the patient’s digital medical record via Internet.

Another groundbreaking aspect of the i-calQ technology is the inclusion of an expert diagnostic system. The i-calQ software analyzes the test results with medical decision support algorithms to interpret the results and recommend additional tests or treatment. 

Diagnostic testing anywhere, anytime

“We’re so excited about being named a finalist in the Nokia Sensing XCHALLENGE,” says Pamela Turbeville, co-founder and CEO of i-calQ.  “Some of the most innovative companies in the world are participating, all with the goal of delivering better, more affordable healthcare to consumers everywhere. The fact that our smartphone-based concept for essential diagnostic testing is recognized as one of the 12 best entries validates our work and increases our dedication to making i-calQ a universal tool for medical professionals and consumers.”

About XPRIZE

Founded in 1995, XPRIZE, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is the leading organization solving the world’s Grand Challenges by creating and managing large-scale, high-profile, incentivized prize competitions that stimulate investment in research and development worth far more than the prize itself. The organization motivates and inspires brilliant innovators from all disciplines to leverage their intellectual and financial capital for the benefit of humanity. XPRIZE conducts competitions in five Prize Groups: Education; Exploration; Energy & Environment; Global Development; and Life Sciences. Active prizes include the $30 million Google Lunar XPRIZE, the $10 million Archon Genomics XPRIZE presented by Express Scripts, the $10 million Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE, and the $2.25 million Nokia Sensing XCHALLENGE. For more information, go to www.xprize.org. 

About i-calQ

During his medical fieldwork during the 2007 Ebola epidemic, Dr. Joel Ehrenkranz saw the urgent need for mobile diagnostic devices. He realized that smartphones were the future of medicine, and would eventually be the ideal medical tools for “comprehensive disease management.” He envisioned a smartphone that could perform quantitative, lab-quality testing, and then execute medical decision support algorithms to help interpret the test results. As a result of that insight, Dr. Ehrenkranz co-founded i-calQ in 2011 to develop smartphone technologies for integrated point-of-care testing and testing result analysis.

In 2013, i-calQ launched its first three diagnostic projects: 1) thyroid disease management based on point-of-care TSH measurement, 2) stress management based on salivary cortisol measurement, and 3) antenatal healthcare management using point-of-care HIV, syphilis, glucose, blood pressure, hemoglobin, and urinary albumin measurements.

mHealth Predicted To Help 40 million patients in Brazil and Mexico

It's been reported that over 40 million additional patients could be treated in Brazil and Mexico alone in 2017 through the use of mHealth-related services.

"The implementation of mHealth services in Brazil and Mexico is expected to extend healthcare to 28.4 million additional patients in Brazil and 15.5 million patients in Mexico in 2017; as well as quip around 16 million citizens to improve their lifestyle and reduce the impact of chronic diseases, prolonging lives'" the GSMA report states (www.gsma.com).


It's also estimated that the cost savings of mHealth implementation could save the two countires a total of $17.9 billion. Even better, mHealth will create 200,000 jobs as its deployed.

According to GSMA, the four main barriers that will limit the adoption of mHealth across Latin America include regulatory, economic structure and technology-related obstacles.

Like many parts of the world, the healthcare in Brazil and Mexico focus on individual treatment and drug therapy rather than preventive medicine and patient monitoring.

"The fragmentation of healthcare systems in Brazil and Mexico restricts the sharing of information and alignment of processes, preventing mHealth from scaling effectively. The lack of interoperability and standardization of mHealth services can localize the implementation, limiting the scalability of mHealth."

Biometric Health Screenings Lower Insurance Premiums

In growing numbers, health insurance providers are offering discounts to plan members who complete a series of biometric tests linked to an online health assessment questionnaire.

So why aren't more people participating?

Privacy issues remain paramount in the U.S., Europe and Asia. But much like the early days of the Internet, when people were reluctant to submit credit card information online, it appears that these privacy fears are abating, albeit slowly.

In many ways, convenience overcame the fear of stolen credit card information and that's really the key for biometric modalities. Smartphone based health screenings are making it easier for patients to be tested and less expensive (of course) while delivering better, healthier outcomes.

In win-win. And because personal biometric screenings make life easier for government, it's certain the industry will grow as new , federal health mandates come into effect.

Smartphone Monitoring of Non-Lethal Cardiac Arrhythmias

It's called The BodyGuardian System, a bringing together of Samsumg's Galaxy smartphone and a monitoring system from Preventice.

According to press releases, "The BodyGuardian System will enable physicians to monitor key biometrics in patients with cardiac arrhythmias outside of the clinical setting, allowing patients go about their daily lives while remaining connected to their physicians. According to Preventice, Samsung Mobile will customize the Galaxy S II smartphone for use in the BodyGuardian RMS by creating a dedicated mobile environment that will ensure a secure, reliable wireless connection for the transmission of biometric data. Patient data is captured using a small wearable sensor and delivered via Bluetooth communication to a dedicated Galaxy S II smartphone. The Galaxy S II then transmits the physiological data via cellular network to the Preventice Care Platform in the cloud. Physicians and/or monitoring centers then access the data via a web or tablet-based portal."

The idea to bring remote patient monitoring to smartphones is being driven by the need to reduce patient costs and positively influence care delivery. Reports indicate that the U.S. market for advanced patient monitoring, including smartphones, will reach $20.9 billion by 2016... up from just $8.9 billion in 2009.