Data management in clinical trials is an area that still requires many improvements. The company I want to introduce to you in the Health Tech of The Week series aims to revolutionize the existing system.

The inspiration for creating eOS came from the personal and professional experiences of the company’s CEO, Andrzej Kurek. Not only has he been associated with the IT industry for over 20 years, working on projects for biotechnological companies such as Mabion S.A, Proteon Pharmaceuticals S.A, and Petnovell S.A., but he also spent five years as a caregiver for a person struggling with cancer and participating in clinical trials in Poland and Norway. Consequently, he became intimately familiar with the problems encountered by patients involved in national and international innovative medical projects.

To meet the needs of those involved in clinical trials, he came up with the idea of creating an ecosystem for communication, data management, analytics, and statistics in clinical trials, which primarily would connect the needs of everyone involved in the process, namely patients, study sponsors, CRO companies, and research centers.

The Technology Behind eOS

What makes eOS stand out? It’s primarily a low-code platform, meaning its structure can be quickly modified, adapting to the changing needs of clinical trials. This flexibility allows the system to be scaled and easily adapted to the organizations using it. eOS’s artificial intelligence automates processes, generates forms, and manages data, reducing repetitive tasks and speeding up operations. This helps to reduce the costs associated with generating paper documentation and accelerates many operational activities in clinical trials. As eOS can be delivered as a Cloud Software solution, researchers and medical staff have access to key information anywhere and anytime. The system supports all elements of a research project. Medical staff gains a single digital environment in which to manage the entire process, while patients are ensured greater personalization of treatment paths, as any deviation in health status is automatically identified and reported to the attending physicians.

Development of eOS

Initial funding for eOS, amounting to 1.5 million złoty from a Venture Capital fund, enabled rapid development. The company enjoys financial stability, and partnerships with leading medical organizations and IT and MedTech companies, such as CliniNote (read the blog post!) and MAIN Data Center, testify to its established position. The company is currently working on a project for the National Institute of Oncology and is in commercial talks with a national CRO organization.

Currently, eOS is in the commercialization phase. Thanks to the system’s „tailor-made” nature, its final structure is adjusted to the individual needs of users. Work is underway on a module using AI technology to increase the efficiency of the clinical trial feasibility analysis process. Clinical trial projects often have an international character, so foreign expansion is a natural direction for further development of the organization. The company is currently developing its position in the domestic market and simultaneously conducting systematic analyses of product demand in foreign markets. In 2023, the company implemented a program of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency aimed at introducing the product to the U.S. market.

Vision of the Future

The eOS team has a clear vision of the future of medicine – a world where treatment is maximally personalized, and technology serves humanity. By 2040, medicine is expected to be based on integrated management of digital information, data security, and interoperability. Such an approach will allow the creation of an ecosystem for efficient healthcare. As a result, healthcare has the chance to become more effective, and patients can expect care tailored to their individual needs.

Learn more about eOS at meeeteos.pl 

I invite you to continue following „Health Tech of the Week,” where we will explore innovations and solutions that are constantly transforming the world of medicine and healthcare, creating new treatment possibilities and improving the quality of life for patients around the world.

If you are leading an innovative project in the field of new technologies and medicine or want to recommend an interesting solution, please contact us at: [email protected].

In the latest issue of „Health Tech of the Week,” we present BioCam, an innovative startup revolutionizing the world of medicine.

As Maciej Wysocki, CEO of Biocam, says, the company’s beginnings were unusual. A few years ago, while working on innovative spectrophotometric technologies, Maciej was approached by a company that broadcast international freediving competitions, an extreme sport related to diving to depths of several hundred meters without equipment. They wanted to measure the physiological parameters of the divers, thereby increasing the attractiveness of their broadcasts. The then mentor, and now also a partner in Biocam, biotechnology expert Prof. Marek Langner, advised using endoscopic capsules for this purpose. By removing the cameras and adding sensors, they could monitor what happens to the divers’ bodies at different depths.

This commission prompted the creators of Biocam to analyze the market. However, a barrier was the price, at 2600 PLN for a single capsule and from 20 to 40 thousand PLN for a radio signal receiver, necessary for data acquisition.

– Seeing how expensive and niche this medical sector is, we decided it was worth changing and popularizing the entire technology of endoscopic capsules, relying on cheaper production costs and artificial intelligence algorithms for image analysis. Our key mission is to be a minimally invasive alternative for gastrointestinal screening tests. The basic social problem is that we are tested too late and too rarely, and most gastrointestinal cancers are diagnosed in the last stages of development, which precludes conventional treatment and means a death sentence. People avoid traditional endoscopic examinations due to panic fear, shame, and lack of education about the importance of screening tests – emphasizes the CEO of Biocam.

Breakthrough Thanks to AI Technology

BioCam, using AI in capsule endoscopy, responds to global challenges in medicine, including staffing shortages. The company’s AI algorithms, based on extensive data sets, surpass traditional image analysis methods in terms of speed and accuracy. This technology allows doctors to diagnose more effectively, reducing the risk of missing significant pathological changes. BioCam not only innovates in endoscopy but also actively shapes the vision of the future of medicine. The company emphasizes the importance of automation, telemedicine, and prevention in the context of aging societies and burdened healthcare systems. They are convinced that the future of medicine is prevention and early detection of diseases, which can fundamentally change the approach to treatment and health management.

Expansion and Development

In the market context, BioCam stands out by offering endoscopic capsules for examining the entire gastrointestinal system in the comfort of one’s own home. BioCam capsules are equipped with NBI technology, or tissue illumination with light of different wavelengths, all at a significantly lower price than the competition. By offering a comprehensive examination of the gastrointestinal tract, the company introduces a completely new standard in diagnostics. In the pre-commercial stage, BioCam plans to collaborate with a network of private clinics and the veterinary industry. Aiming for global expansion, they are extending their offer not only to the human market but also to the veterinary market, opening up new diagnostic possibilities.

– The idea of exploring the veterinary market came from the largest veterinary drug manufacturer in the region, so the need came directly from a potential customer and business partner. After analysis, we concluded that this is an area of activity with equally great commercial potential and even less competition than in the traditional medical market, which increases our chances of becoming an industry leader. Year after year, we are spending more and more on our four-legged friends, treating them as full members of the family. A good example is the variety of food we can buy or the quality of the ingredients used, compared to what was offered years ago. The invasiveness of traditional endoscopy is also significant, which for an animal must end with anesthesia, which is not the „healthiest” – adds Maciej Wysocki.

Innovations and Future Plans

BioCam is continuously developing its technologies, working on miniaturizing capsules for smaller animals and expanding diagnostic functionalities. The company is also exploring the potential of bioprinting and remote drug release, which could bring another revolution in medicine.

Stay tuned for more in the „Health Tech of the Week” series, where we will discover more fascinating stories from the world of medical technology that are changing the face of healthcare.

If you are leading an innovative project in the field of new technologies and medicine, or want to recommend an interesting solution, contact us at: [email protected].

This week, we are taking a closer look at Ailis, an innovative startup focusing on a crucial area of women’s health: early breast cancer diagnosis. Founded by Michał Matuszewski, the project arose from personal experiences with cancer within his family and is now dedicated to combating breast cancer. It offers not only an innovative method of early diagnosis but also a personalized approach to each patient.

Breast cancer in Poland holds an unfortunate top position among malignant tumors in women, accounting for approximately 37% of all cases. Data from the National Cancer Registry for 2020 is striking – it is diagnosed 67 times a day. Unfortunately, about one-third of patients do not survive. Poland also leads the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries in terms of cancer-related mortality rates, with the percentage of breast cancer deaths increasing, unlike other European countries. Early diagnosis remains a challenge, with only one-third of eligible women undergoing mammography and one in five having a cytology examination.

Innovative Technology

Ailis is the result of over seven years of collaboration between outstanding scientists from the Gdańsk University of Technology, the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, biomedical engineering experts, oncologists, and programmers. Their goal was to combine parametric dynamic imaging technology with an analytical module based on artificial intelligence algorithms and telemedicine. It is the first diagnostic method that allows for the early detection of breast cancer and monitoring the breast condition of patients with different breast densities. Ailis has its own breast density algorithm that correlates with women’s breast densities, personalizing the diagnosis for each of them. The examination on this device is painless, comfortable, safe (no ionizing radiation is emitted), and takes only 5 minutes (including diagnosis takes 15 minutes). The system is practically self-operating and will be equipped with a digital avatar that (thanks to artificial intelligence) discusses the results with the patient and provides personalized risk information.

Project Development

Currently, the project is in the medical experiment phase, which aims to teach AI algorithms. The first Ailis center is operating in Krakow, and additional research centers will be launched in Gdańsk and Warsaw this year. Currently, women with suspected breast cancer are invited to participate in the research free of charge. Each patient also undergoes ultrasound, mammography, or possibly magnetic resonance imaging, depending on the doctor’s recommendations. Women with suspected breast cancer are provided with consultations with an experienced doctor specializing in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment – Dr. Mateusz Górski. In less than two months, nearly 1000 women have already signed up for the examinations.

Next Steps

Following clinical evaluation, Ailis awaits certification and, from the end of 2024, will begin the process of entering the Polish market and foreign markets. Discussions are currently underway with countries interested in implementing the system, such as Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates. An innovative approach to test accessibility is offering them not in medical clinics but in shopping centers, creating a friendly environment for patients. The goal is to encourage women to undergo regular examinations and monitor their health to detect the disease at its earliest stage, when it is up to 99% curable.

Problem Solving

According to the World Health Organization, in 2020, 2.3 million new cases of breast cancer were diagnosed worldwide. It is estimated that by 2040, the number of cases will exceed 3 million annually. Every minute, one woman dies from this disease worldwide, while three learn about its existence. Nearly half of women worldwide have limited access to effective methods of early breast cancer diagnosis. Over the past twenty years, the number of breast cancers worldwide has increased by almost 100%. In some Asian regions, waiting for mammographic testing takes several years, while the WHO recommends a maximum wait time of three months. Delaying treatment even by a month increases the risk of death by 6-13%.

Late diagnosis contributes to alarming mortality rates, and the introduction of Ailis to the market may help address this problem. Key elements include the use of artificial intelligence, deep neural networks, and algorithms to analyze test results and create a personalized risk model for each patient. Personalized risk assessment is the future of healthcare, which currently relies mainly on population-based risk. Through a special application that guides women through monthly breast self-examinations step by step and allows patients to report suspicious changes for analysis, Ailis informs them about the need for earlier consultations with a doctor.

Health Tech of the Week

The Health Tech of the Week initiative highlights the importance of innovative solutions in the healthcare and technology fields. Ailis serves as an excellent example of the Health Tech revolution in women’s healthcare, going beyond current medical standards and changing the approach to breast cancer diagnosis while increasing women’s awareness of their health.

If you have an innovative project in the field of new technologies and medicine or would like to recommend an interesting solution, please contact us at: [email protected].

This week, I highlighted a project aimed at supporting companies in the field of clinical research by providing them with modern software for information management.

As stated by the project’s co-founder, Sabina Żołędowska, the idea to create the finECRF eCRF system stemmed from a real market need. Sabina is the owner of Science Implementation, a company specializing in clinical trials, where she repeatedly encountered challenges related to scaling the business and a lack of efficient tools to support information management in research. Existing solutions on the market were costly and complex to implement. Through collaboration with Łukasz Szemiako from Rewinit, a company with extensive experience in IT and solutions meeting medical standards, finECRF was developed.

A breath of fresh air in the industry

FinECRF stands out among other solutions, both those offered by IT corporations and startups. Large companies are often limited by a lack of flexibility in purchasing and a lengthy implementation process. On the other hand, open-source solutions created by startups may not comply with local requirements, corporate policies (which are still wary of such initiatives), and can be costly to implement, often requiring the reorganization of multiple existing operational systems within a company. As a closed system, FinECRF provides users with the flexibility to tailor functionality to their individual needs. One of the advantages that Ms. Sabina particularly emphasized in creating the solution is ensuring a snowball effect in terms of process automation. As the solution is used, it becomes possible to create increasingly new paths, shortcuts, and facilitations that streamline the processing of information obtained from clinical trials.

Next steps

FinECRF is currently in the pilot phase. The plan is to reach the fifth level of technological readiness and commence expansion into the commercial market in the form of a subscription model. The system has been developed in both Polish and English to facilitate implementation in European Union countries. However, a challenge lies in adapting the solution to local regulations of member states. I will be keenly observing the further stages of development of this solution, which has touched upon the complex yet improvement-worthy field of clinical research.

HealthTech Startup of the Week is a series of publications on the blog and my LinkedIn profile where, every Wednesday, I showcase one of the more interesting startups or medical projects. Polish and international companies, whose actions significantly impact the quality of life for the intended users, are invited to present themselves to a wider audience.

Do you run an interesting project at the intersection of new technologies and medicine, or do you want to recommend a solution you know or use?
Contact us: [email protected]