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We are proud to have completed our presentation in the final round of the Deep Space Healthcare Challenge (DSHC) in Montreal, Canada earlier this week.

The Deep Space Healthcare Challenge

The Deep Space Healthcare Challenge (DSHC) is a competition by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and Impact Canada to develop new diagnostic and detection technologies for remote communities in Canada and crews on deep space missions alike. 

The challenge came about when the CSA realized the unique medical and technical components of a healthcare solution in space mimics the same need in remote communities across Canada. Specifically, the autonomous solutions that allow astronauts to take care of themselves when the presence of nurses and healthcare professionals become very limited, are the same solutions that would benefit Canadian communities. These remote communities share challenges of being a long distance from city centers, lack of specialized equipment and personnel, and communication delays. These make it difficult to receive the quality care that most people living in metropolitan areas benefit from. 

CSA astronaut David Saint-Jacques talking about the origins of the Deep Space Healthcare Challenge

Our solution submitted to the challenge includes the teledermatology features of DermEngine that allow patients to see a dermatology specialist in weeks rather than months. It includes our smartphone dermatoscope attachment, MoleScope, for the remote imaging and monitoring of skin lesions. Together, they allow patients to receive dermatological care remotely and autonomously. We applied this over the summer in our partnership with IndigenousTech.AI when we hosted a skin check clinic for the First Nations communities in Kelowna, BC. There, we saw a number of concerning cases that we were able to alert and notify right away. The early detection of these skin lesions was critical as it's been shown to improve survival rates by up to 98%¹. 

DermEngine workflow

We can promote the same use of our technology with other remote populations who may not have the healthcare infrastructure to support them, such as astronauts and deep space crews. Our cloud-based software and smartphone attachment eases this process so healthcare can be done autonomously without requiring additional space or people.

The Final Round of the Challenge

The MetaOptima team has been presenting the DermEngine solution together with IndigenousTech.ai to show how it can provide healthcare to remote communities in Canada and deep space mission crews alike. Over 20 teams have submitted a solution and few have gone through the ideation and prototype phases. The third and final stage was the demonstration of products in a simulated environment determined by the CSA. The winner will be announced in the Winter of 2024.

We are excited to be part of the finalists and contribute to Canada's growing technologies. If you are interested in learning more about DermEngine's capabilities, request a demo and explore the platform with one of our experts today! 

-The MetaOptima Team

Sources:

1. https://dermatology.ca/public-patients/skin/melanoma/