DARPA: $15.5M to Charles River Analytics team to Build App that Detects Warfighter Illness and Injury

credits Charles River Analytics

Charles River Analytics Inc., developer of intelligent systems solutions, has been selected as a prime contractor under DARPA’s Warfighter Analytics using Smartphones for Health (WASH) program, performing under both technical areas.
Early detection of illness and injury often yields a better prognosis. For example, if left undetected, infectious diseases can spread quickly through a population, endangering Warfighters and their missions, as well as the general population. Earlier diagnoses of injury (e.g., traumatic brain injury) can prevent inappropriate return-to-duty of Warfighters who may put themselves and others at risk.
Under the WASH program, DARPA seeks “to develop algorithms that enable continuous and real-time assessment of the Warfighter by leveraging data that is passively and unobtrusively captured by cellphone sensors.”
As part of the WASH program, Charles River is leading a team that includes Assured Information Security; Tozny, LLC; and the University of Washington to develop a Health and Injury Prediction and Prevention using Complex Reasoning and Analytic Techniques Integrated on a Cellphone App (HIPPOCRATIC App). With all options exercised, the four-year contract for HIPPOCRATIC App is valued over $15.5 million.
The HIPPOCRATIC App system is designed to detect indicators of an injury. For example, if it senses a large jolt that may indicate a fall, the system begins monitoring for associated symptoms, such as a change in gait, using integrated smartphone sensors.
“The HIPPOCRATIC App can lead to a revolutionary breakthrough in healthcare delivery for both Warfighters and civilians,” said Dr. Bethany Bracken, Senior Scientist at Charles River and Principal Investigator for the HIPPOCRATIC App. “Earlier diagnoses of injury can prevent return-to-duty of impaired Warfighters; earlier treatment means Warfighters can perform their duties longer, saving the Department of Defense millions of dollars in training costs. We are proud that we are working with such a talented team to build this app. While our team is excited about the potential medical outcomes, we are also excited to demonstrate the right way to protect end-user information and privacy when applying advanced analytics. We will protect the privacy of user data using InnoVault, an end-to-end encryption toolkit developed by Tozny.”
InnoVault is a commercial toolkit for end-to-end control of stored structured data using strong encryption. The toolkit can be embedded in an app, web page, or server to ensure that tight control is maintained over the data from the point of creation, through transmission, storage, analysis, and finally expiration and deletion.
“The HIPPOCRATIC App will rely on sensitive user data whose privacy must be preserved for the entire data lifecycle,” said Isaac Potoczny-Jones, Tozny CEO. “Using encryption from start to finish gives us fine-grained control and strictly limits the parties who even touch the data. This protects both the end-users and the research partners whose analysis engines will access the data.”
Source: Charles River Analytics