Embrace

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Company info:

Name: Protolab srl
Date founded: 2010
Number of employees: 5
Location: Padua, Italy

High-tech SME developing innovative complete solutions tailored to customer needs and providing integrated systems & services.

http://www.protolab.it/

Partners:

Innovation Management Partner:

Development of a smart sensor kit for monitoring of scoliosis treatment braces

Challenge

Each year about 2% of European teenagers must be treated with braces (spinal orthosis) to counteract the evolution of scoliotic curve by applying a mechanical stress against the body and favouring the correct posture of rachis. Despite the need of recording the exerted pressure expressed by orthopaedic specialists, there is currently no device available, in the market, able to quantitatively measure acting forces inside the braces and to monitor the wearing time. Market analysis outlines big potential in the scoliosis management market, stressing increasing year to year demand still not satisfied by products on the market. It also identifies among main drivers the advancement of technology with tracking devices that can monitor the patient health evolution.

Solution

Protolab aims at: i) developing an innovative plug & play wearable sensor kit for monitoring the pressure inside scoliosis braces, ii) improving the compliance with medical prescriptions and iii) boosting the patient active participation in order to reach satisfying results from the care treatment. Digitization will boost the development of automated analysis to frequently check treatment progresses, while the availability of gathered data will allow the use of predictive algorithms to favour rapid intervention in case of wrong trends, thus favouring the active participation of the patient to the care treatment.

FED4SAE Support

Thanks to FED4SAE project that leverages the collaboration with ST Microelectronics, CEA-Leti and IRT Nanoelec, Protolab developed a prototype system based on STM32WB microcontroller that integrates all the hardware means to support Bluetooth™ 5.0 and IEEE 802.15.4 wireless standards such as ZigBee 3.0 and Openthread. The STM32WB is used to collect data from sensors, to process and then to transfer them via BLE to a dedicated smartphone App.

Tests of the new prototype data communication in realistic conditions were performed in collaboration with Products & Technologies Living-Lab (PTL) of IRT Nanoelec at CEA-Leti in Grenoble. The cybersecurity and privacy risk analysis and the evaluation of regulatory constraints related to patient’s data management were assessed as well with the support of CEA-Leti.

Blumorpho’s innovation management services helped Protolab in the identification of the strategy and the statutory constraints to secure the go-to-market strategy as well as to seek investors.

Impact

Protolab developed a miniaturized and integrated solution tested in realistic environment.

Product qualification and certifications were launched in July 2020. Protolab planned to enter the market in the early 2021 (customer acquisition).

Embrace enters a Global Scoliosis management Market estimated in 2B$. A rough estimate of investments needs, viability and sustainability of business has been carried out with an analysis of incremental costs and revenues that Protolab will tackle to enter the new market. The estimated financial requirement is about 1.4 Mn EUR, while the Break-Even Point will be reached within five years at about 3000 kits/year.

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IDRD

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Company info:

Name: Ubotica Technologies Ltd.
Date founded: 2016
Number of employees: 12
Location: Dublin, Ireland; Ciudad Real, Spain

Irish SME focused on delivering computer vision and AI based solutions on-the-edge.

www.ubotica.com

Partners:

Innovation Management Partner:

IDRD: In-Line Diabetic Retinopathy Detection

Challenge

Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) is the leading cause of vision loss in adults aged between 25 and 60, with a recent study estimating that the number of people worldwide with DR will grow to 191 million by 2030. When DR is caught early, treatment is effective at reducing or preventing vision loss. Only a very small number of countries have national screening programmes for DR detection in place, and they are costly to run.

Solution

Ubotica has developed a deep-learning based solution for detecting the presence of DR indicators in retinal images on-the-edge, in the specialist fundus cameras that take these images. The solution has been designed to assist ophthalmologists to accurately and consistently evaluate and diagnose DR. To support this, it also provides information related to the basis on which the assessment was made.

Achievements

A light weight solution has been developed around the embeddable Intel Movidius Myriad X Vision Processing Unit (VPU), which pre-processes the retinal images using its on-board image filtering capabilities and then applies an Artificial Intelligence Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to assess the retinal image for DR indicators. Runtime analysis with the Neural Network Dependability Kit (NNDK) is applied to display to the user the CNN training images which most closely match the image being analysed. This introduces a level of confidence to In-Line Diabetic Retinopathy Detection that heretofore was not possible, adding a Verifiable AI element. The integration of the working prototype with a retinal imaging camera has been demonstrated.

FED4SAE Support

A significant challenge in the deployment of AI based solutions is in the supervising of decisions of the CNNs which are at the core of these systems. Addressing this, fortiss supported in interpreting the NNDK metrics for assessing the performance of the CNN, also after a vigorous pruning process to reduce the model’s size and make inference faster, and in integrating the runtime analysis into the application. Depending on their specialization, all FED4SAE partners provided input to refine the technical approach and business case, and joint dissemination opportunities were exploited.

Impact

Ubotica are working with fundus camera manufacturers to introduce the solution to the marketplace, offering customization and design-in services for the VPU, CNN and associated software. The NNDK’s supervisory role on the decisions being made by the CNNs delivers a significant benefit to solution integrators. Deploying Ubotica’s solution in fundus cameras will significantly enhance the role of both the cameras and the ophthalmologists who use the cameras, with further advances anticipated with the introduction of detectors for other pathologies, such as Glaucoma and Hypertension, all based on the same underlying hardware.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlCkOZ8aK_Y

PRESLEEP

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Company info:

Name: Sleep Advice Technologies S.r.l.
Date founded: 2018
Number of employees: 4
Location: Corso Vinzaglio 12 bis
10121 Torino (TO) Italy

http://www.satechnology.eu/

Partners:

Innovation Management Partner:

PRESLEEP “A wearable CPS for the automatic detection and prediction of the awake, drowsiness and sleeping stages”

Challenge

Sleep medicine is a medical specialty focused on the analysis, diagnosis and therapy of sleep disturbances and disorders and, more generally, about awake-drowsiness-sleep functioning. A very innovative approach focused on the early detection of drowsiness and, more generally, about fatigue and tiredness, has been developed by Sleep Advice Technologies (SAT).

Solution

The methodology is based on the non-invasive real-time measurement of a reduced set of physiological parameters, thus supporting the automatic detection and prediction of awake, drowsiness and sleeping stages through modern Artificial Intelligence techniques.

The real time detection and prediction algorithm has been implemented into a wearable CPS prototype featuring a rich set of communication channels as well as GPS functionality. A very important aspect of the project is related to the capability of the proposed methodology/technology to detect additional high level emotional stages of the drivers (e.g. stress, anxiety, etc..) which can support the development of advanced control strategies for automated vehicle at AVL.

FED4SAE Support

The implemented system integration Application Experiment, run in tight cooperation with AVL, accelerates the development process toward the most effective technological transfer into a successful mass market product.

The “System integration Application Experiment” covers HW/SW integration and access enablement to both the Integrated and Open Development Platform (AVL) and the complementary skills from the competence centre (AVL).

The outcome of PRESLEEP project is an integrated CPS prototype demonstrator verified and validated in realistic conditions at AVL.

Impact

A wearable CPS based on a flexible and modular architecture has been successfully developed, bridging health and transportation domains by fully developing an exclusive methodology and the related CPS technology that can be successfully applied in a wide range of applications in the respective domains. Through the support of AVL, this system integration focused on the fine assessment and validation of the proposed methodology/technology in a realistic automotive environment.

The societal impact is expected to be very relevant as SAT product aims at drastically improve the quality of life by reducing the amount of risky situations due to loss of control of the subject while performing an action.

SpectroX

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Company info:

Althexis Solutions Ltd. Name: Althexis Solutions Ltd. Date founded: 2016 Number of employees: 6 Location: Nicosia, Cyprus www.althexis.com

Partners:

Innovation Management Partner:

LEVERAGING AI & HYPERSPECTRAL IMAGING TO PROVIDE EARLY INSIGHTS INTO SKIN CANCER

Challenge

Skin cancer is responsible for 1 death per hour which accounts for more than 50% of all cancers combined. The most aggressive and hazardous skin cancer type is Melanoma, which represents 4% of all skin cancer lesions. Melanoma diagnosis rates are continuously increasing however the number of Dermatologists is decreasing relative to the population. This means that Dermatologists do not have the capacity to regularly examine the general population using conventional techniques. At present, multiple repetitive examinations are required in order to safely determine skin abnormalities. Most systems that are currently available to doctors are optical or digital dermoscopes, operating in the visible spectrum. Such devices have limited diagnostic and predictive accuracy.

Solution

SpectroX project exploited the fact that Hyperspectral imaging is able to reveal rich information, both in and under the surface of skin, well beyond the capabilities of the human eye. With the additional aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and deep learning technology, this has enabled the multi-disciplinary team of Computer Scientists and dermatologists at Althexis to develop this breakthrough technology that can detect and classify skin conditions before they become they even become visible thus enabling earlier intervention resulting in improved patient outcomes.

SpectroX has proven to be highly accurate, easy to use as an early diagnostic system that will revolutionize the way in which skin conditions are detected. SpectroX significantly reduces the examination time by half compared to current solutions, while making a previously inaccessible technology, affordable  without any compromises.
This is the key to scale population screening, which will lead to saving lives and medical costs.

SpectroX is a full solution for the dermatologist from the handheld image capture device with an AI enabled software capable of capturing and making skin image classifications for various skin conditions. It also includes full patient records, electronic GDPR consent forms, patient metadata. visits and images taken over time of skin lesions and moles. All data is uploaded to the Althexis Secure Cloud, enabling AI models to be continuously updated and distributed automatically to all the systems in the clinics. This process enables every dermatologist and their patients to gain from the latest collective insights and expertise and enables single-shot predictions of unprecedented accuracy, compared to the conventional procedures.

AI has rapidly evolved and matured and is used in a growing number of healthcare solutions providing outstanding performance. Spectral Imaging cameras enable precise and consistent image acquisitions, as the capture procedure is properly calibrated and represents an actual physical measurement. Althexis combines these along with its secure Cloud technologies to bring about the next generation dermoscope, with a special emphasis on the early detection of melanoma.

FED4SAE Support

FED4SAE project has been critical in accelerating the efforts of the company to develop and deploy working devices, based on CSEM’s Hyperspectral Technologies that captured rich hyperspectral images from patients which has enabled the AI systems to be developed. This has enabled Althesis to validate their business model and reach the market faster. The collaborative network within FED4SAE provided the key enabling technologies from CSEM and Intel also valuable business support from BluMorpho.

Impact

SpectroX is the next generation dermoscope solution and it has been developed, deployed and validated within the FED4SAE Application Experiment. It is enabling Dermotologists to gain early detection of melanoma or certain skin conditions and that can significantly increase survival rates. SpectroX will also have a significant impact on the attitude towards skin screening from the general public and allow for a larger portion of the population to be tested. Currently (Q4’2020) Althexis is currently seeking Venture Capital funding, in order to scale its business by approaching new clients and develop new features within SpectroX.

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SureWash

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Company info:

Name: Surewash-Glanta Date founded: 2010 Number of employees: 7 Location: Dublin, Ireland SureWash uses its patented gesture recognition application to teach staff, patients on the proper hand hygiene protocol to WHO handwashing standard. https://surewash.com/

Partners:

Innovation Management Partner:

SureWash Hand Hygiene guidance and measurement system over the sink

Challenge

COVID-19 has raised everyone awareness of the importance of hand hygiene, however before it arrived, 9 million infections occur each year in European hospitals and care facilities (European centre for disease control https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications-data/infographic-healthcare-associated-infections-threat-patient-safety-europe), and in the US, hospital acquired infections kills 100,000 patients each year and cost $45 Billion. In fact, seven percent (7%) of all Hospital patients in developed countries acquire infections (HAI).

The World Health Org (WHO) estimate that 50% of infections could be prevented with better hand hygiene and to reduce hand acquired infections, the WHO have developed a seven step handwashing protocol that mitigates the risk of bacteria remaining on washed hands.

Solution

Glanta T/A Surewash™ have developed an Over The Sink hand wash training and monitoring system (Surewash OTS) that provide real-time feedback to the user as they are washing their hands as to their compliance to the WHO handwashing protocol.

The goal is to increase staff compliance to the protocol, thus reduce infections and avoid the need for antibiotics to treat infections. This improves patient outcomes, shorten hospital stay and overall results in lives saved and significant cost avoidance.

There may be many over the sink units deployed across a hospital wards and as they are “smart and connected” they capture and report real-time hand hygiene data which is aggregated and enables hospital management to visualise utilisation, track compliance, compare sites and enables early invention to prevent the outbreak of infections.

FED4SAE Support

SureWash™ partnered with both Intel, CEA and IRT-Nanoelec to develop, deploy and validate a number of prototypes. Intel Movidius engineers provided assistance on the Intel’s MyriadX™ VPU(Visual Processing Units), OpenVino and Realsense™ depth sensing camera technology.

The prototypes were deployed, tested and evaluated in the IRT-Nanoelec testbed facility. Functional testing included (GDPR) privacy and cybersecurity compliance assessment as well as usability analysis and user acceptance with potential customers. As part of the FED4SAE suite of services, SureWash is receiving support in business modelling, market insights and design to cost from Blumorpho and CEA-Open Innovation team. Intel has introduced Surewash™ to a number of potential partners to accelerate its path to market.

Impact

The working prototype was deployed at Korian Nursing Homes (France) and valuable feedback was provide to Surewash team.

The devices were used in a clinical trial within the NHS (UK) and it increased the quality of hand hygiene by 197% and the number of hand wash events by 147%. The results were published in the American Journal of Infection Control in February 2020.

SureWash are now seeking a partner to commercialise this product at scale. If you are interested in helping to roll out SureWash AVA into the marketplace, please get in touch through the following link https://surewash.com/contact-us/.

For further information about the SureWash products, visit www.surewash.com.

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