Deep Space Healthcare Challenge
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and Impact Canada ran the Deep Space Healthcare Challenge, a competition to develop new diagnostic and detection technologies for remote communities in Canada and crews on deep-space missions.
Following a competition spanning over two years, the winner of the Deep Space Healthcare Challenge has been selected: Montreal-based MD Applications will receive $500,000 in grant funding as the grand prize winner. Their EZResus solution is already helping save lives on Earth and holds great potential for diagnosis and medical emergencies in space.
MD Applications presents its solution for the Deep Space Healthcare Challenge: EZResus, a mobile application for resuscitation. (Credits: CSA, Impact Canada, McGill University's Steinberg Centre for Simulation and Interactive Learning – Office of Education Technology and E-learning Collaboration for Health, MD Applications)
About the challenge
Canadians living in remote, medically isolated areas – far from hospitals, clinics, and typical points of medical care – grapple with many of the same healthcare challenges that await crews heading to deep-space destinations. In the face of limited supplies and access to help, both of those populations need innovative and sustainable solutions to medical care that increase autonomy.
In collaboration with Impact Canada, the CSA ran the Deep Space Healthcare Challenge, which sought to create new detection and diagnostic technologies that would help support front-line workers in remote communities in Canada and crews on deep-space missions.
CSA astronaut David Saint-Jacques describes the challenges of remote healthcare delivery, and sheds light on how technologies developed in Canada could help improve healthcare on Earth and during deep-space missions. (Credits: CSA, NASA, Canadian Armed Forces / Department of National Defence)
Who was eligible to participate?
The Deep Space Healthcare Challenge called Canadian innovators to submit a design concept for their remote healthcare technology by .
The following groups were eligible to participate in the Deep Space Healthcare Challenge:
- A business or other for-profit organization incorporated in Canada;
- A not-for-profit organization incorporated in Canada;
- An Indigenous organization or group located in Canada;
- A post-secondary institution located in Canada;
- An individual or a group of individuals based in Canada.
Winners
Stage 3 winners
A grand prize winner was selected by the Deep Space Healthcare Challenge jury in the third and final stage of the Challenge.
| Organization | Project name |
|---|---|
| Applications MD | EZResus |
Stage 2 winners
Five teams were selected by the Deep Space Healthcare Challenge jury in stage 2 of the Challenge.
The teams that moved on to stage 3 were:
| Organization | Project name |
|---|---|
| Applications MD | EZResus [Video] MD Applications presents EZResus, a mobile application for resuscitation. |
| IndigenousTech.ai | AI-powered Solution for Dermatology for Primary Care Practices in Remote Communities |
| Neursantys Inc. | NEURVESTA: Remote management of neurovestibular and sensorimotor disruptions |
| Luxsonic | SieVRt Cardiac [Video] Luxsonic Technologies presents SieVRt, a mixed reality point of care ultrasound system. |
| Centre for Surgical Invention and Innovation (CSii) | Development of an Autonomous and Tele-operable Medical Robot for Ultra Rapid Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment of Early Cancers and Other Needlescopic Interventions |
Stage 1 winners
Twenty teams were selected by the Deep Space Healthcare Challenge jury in stage 1 of the Challenge.
The teams that moved on to stage 2 were:
| Organization | Project name |
|---|---|
| Tidal Medical | Remote Detection of Respiratory and Cardiac Pathology using a Non-Invasive Diagnostic Wearable |
| Pelican MRI | Ultralight MRI for Remote and Isolated Communities |
| Université de Montréal | SPRINT – Surface plasmon resonance intelligent nanosensor technology |
| University of New Brunswick | An electrochemical sensor for rapid cancer biomarker detection |
| Applications MD | EZResus |
| PLAKK | Saving Lives One Scan at a Time: An Artificial Intelligence-Powered Ultrasound Guidance and Analysis Tool to Predict Stroke Risk |
| Pulsence | Pulsence |
| Sonoscope Inc. | Hands-free automated ultrasound diagnosis module |
| IndigenousTech.ai | AI-powered Solution for Dermatology for Primary Care Practices in Remote Communities |
| LightX Innovations Inc. | LightX Innovations – Vision diagnostics |
| Swift Medical | Pocketable, Skin and Wound Diagnostic and Monitoring Solution |
| Optican Systems Inc. | The OptiScan Near Infrared Probe for real-time Health Monitoring |
| ADGA Group Consultants Inc. | AI-Powered Virtual Medical Assistant |
| Alentic | Lensless Microscopy Diagnostic Platform |
| Neursantys Inc. | NEURVESTA: Remote management of neurovestibular and sensorimotor disruptions |
| Texavie | Autonomous, Comfortable, Health-Sensing and Therapy MarsWear Apparel For Deep Space and Remote Terrestrial Applications |
| McMaster University | Heart-Tracker: A wearable platform for real-time monitoring of cardiac markers in interstitial fluid |
| Wosler Corp. | Autonomous Diagnostic Ultrasound Services in Deep Space and Remote Communities |
| Luxsonic | SieVRt Cardiac |
| Centre for Surgical Invention and Innovation (CSii) | Development of an Autonomous and Tele-operable Medical Robot for Ultra Rapid Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment of Early Cancers and Other Needlescopic Interventions |
For more information on the Challenge and its prize structure, visit the Impact Canada webpage.
Participating organizations
The CSA and the Privy Council Office's Impact Canada Initiative worked together on the Deep Space Healthcare Challenge.
Indigenous Services Canada and the Coordinated Accessible National (CAN) Health Network were supporting partners on the Deep Space Healthcare Challenge.