Telehealth's potential became obvious to patients and healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. For both, it provided a way to connect that was more convenient and cost-effective than conventional in-office appointments.
However, those who engaged in telehealth during and after the pandemic also realized it had a key shortcoming. Patients connecting from home couldn't provide their doctors with the data needed to diagnose conditions effectively or keep track of a patient's progress, and without effective data, telehealth introduced as many risks as rewards.
"To make telehealth work, patients at home must be able to capture much of the same accurate, basic, clinical-grade health data their doctors can gauge during an in-office visit," explains Marcus Soori, Founder and CEO of O/D Vision, Inc. "I designed Tricorder.Zero™ to empower patients to capture numerous forms of this data for that purpose. It's a game-changing healthcare tool enabling the future of telehealth, called 'connected telehealth.'"
Tricorder.Zero™ is a revolutionary home medical device that puts all of the key tools doctors use to measure health metrics in the palm of a patient's hand. It includes seven fully integrated sensors: a high-magnification camera, an otoscope, an IR thermometer, a pulse oximeter, a stethoscope, an EKG sensor, and a body fat and muscle tone sensor.
The device also helps patients to protect sensitive medical data by storing it in the cloud in a HIPAA-compliant, secure account owned by the patient. If the device is lost or stolen, patients don't need to worry about their data falling into the wrong hands.
"Tricorder.Zero™ gives anyone a 15+ function digital health assistant they can use anywhere—at home, in the office, on vacation—to track their health confidently," Soori says. "And every sensor is activated by the device's touchscreen, which makes it as easy to use as any app on a smartphone."
Making the Technology of the Future Available Today
Soori was inspired to develop Tricorder.Zero™ by the "Star Trek" series, which features a futuristic device called a tricorder used by a physician to capture and assess health data. He began ideating the tool while in medical school over a decade ago, but found the technology didn't yet exist to make his vision a reality.
Soori continued to refine his idea from 2013 to 2021, ultimately gaining access to technology that would allow the device to be handheld, reliable, and affordable. From 2021 to 2023, he used his design to secure patent-pending status on over 12 novel concepts utilized by the device and completed his first working prototype.
"My experience in the US healthcare industry showed me that 40 percent of people don't have access to affordable, quality healthcare, even when they have health insurance," Soori says. "With Tricorder.Zero™, those patients now have hope. They can tap into affordable telehealth services and use Tricorder.Zero™ data to help healthcare providers gain the holistic understanding needed to order applicable tests, prescriptions, and referrals. Without this data, up to 40% of telehealth calls can result in telehealth providers referring patients for follow-up in-office appointments because the provider needs the data to develop a plan of action."
Enhancing Health Tracking for a Wide Variety of Users
Tricorder.Zero™ is an obvious solution for anyone looking to manage health conditions while avoiding the costs and inconvenience of visiting a doctor. It empowers parents faced with the challenge of monitoring their children's illnesses. It also allows seniors struggling with chronic conditions to maintain independence.
"The health challenges seniors face often require taking health readings regularly," Soori says. "Tricorder.Zero™ gives them that power, allowing them to take a variety of readings and share them with their adult children, home aides, or healthcare providers. It provides peace of mind, protects against ailments going unnoticed, and prevents some of the issues that can land seniors in a nursing home."
Tricorder.Zero™ is also a helpful tool for data-driven fitness enthusiasts who want to maximize their progress by tracking their results. It can be used to measure body fat, muscle tone, heart rate, breath rate, and blood oxygenation, allowing for pre- and post-workout and or peak/resting comparisons.
"The average American spends $1,860 per year on health and fitness and comes away from all of their work with almost no useful data to show for it," Soori says. "Tricorder.Zero™ makes workouts more impactful by providing users with detailed data on their progress. It lets them experience a better fitness journey without needing a wearable or other intrusive or restrictive device."
Recent statistics show that gaining access to healthcare is more frustrating than ever for patients in the US. Nearly a third say they waited three months or more to get an appointment, with more than a fourth saying they felt rushed or dismissed by a doctor once they finally had an appointment. Tricorder.Zero™ provides an alternative to the current system, empowering patients to fast-track their journey and achieve optimal results.
Tricorder.Zero™ is currently in its pre-order phase, during which the device can be reserved for $299. Soori anticipates that production will begin once 5,000 pre-orders are placed, at which point the price is expected to increase to $499.
"Every stakeholder, from patients to doctors to health systems and insurers, will benefit from the capabilities of Tricorder.Zero™," Soori says. "It's the solution the healthcare field has been waiting for to reduce frustration and make diagnostic care more accessible."
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