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Doctors Figure out Medical Mysteries with a Mobile App

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The Figure 1 app has been labeled the “Instagram for doctors” and has hit 1 million subscribers. Figure 1 is used by doctors and healthcare students from a variety of specialties including medicine, nursing, and dentistry. Figure 1 said its free online mobile tool – used by medical practitioners around the world to share images of patient ailments and seek the opinions of others – has shared its medical images more than 1.5 billion times on its platform. The company estimates two-thirds of North American medical students now use the app, which is also used by institutions.

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Doctors can now use direct messaging to their peers

Users typically share images of challenging or classic cases, and often seek help from the Figure1 community about how to treat patients, or even diagnose them. But now doctors can use peer to peer direct messaging for instant commentary and advice. This is a time saving measure and can be a valuable point of care situation. 

What about Patient Privacy?

Figure 1 has to make sure patient privacy is a priority for healthcare professionals, and they have designed Figure 1 to maintain privacy.

In a Figure 1 profile, you can identify a name, workplace, and other information about yourself. However, you must remove identifying details related to patients from any case you post. (For example: faces and tattoos.) Click here for more information. There is also an automatic face-blocking feature detects faces and blocks them, and the manual block feature allows you to quickly and easily block anything else that might identify a patient.

doctors and figure 1Doctors can upload cases with comments and photos.

Once a case is uploaded, a medical officer and team of moderators at Figure 1 perform a review of each case to verify that all identifying information has been properly removed from it before it is shown on Figure 1. However, if you think that a case, comment, or description on Figure 1 may identify a patient (or supplies information that risks identifying the patient), you can report the case, and it will be immediately removed until our medical officer reviews it. Should a case be deemed to potentially identify a patient, Figure 1 will immediately and securely destroy it, and we will alert the healthcare professional who uploaded the case accordingly.

Whats the future for Figure 1?

Now its ambition is to become the dominant online platform for doctors, or “the operating system of health care,” said Boris Wertz, a Vancouver venture capitalist who has backed the company.

The app can be used for teaching, learning and for patient point of care.

Dr Joshua Landy, co-founder of Figure 1, said “you work in teams, you learn in teams, you study in groups and everything is about bouncing the ideas off, learning to see other people’s perspective and learning from your peers.”  You will be able to share the knowledge of healthcare professionals through the network but also around the world.

He said that since they started the app in 2013, they have millions of healthcare professionals in 190 countries using it. “The ability to be able to reach out to someone in the moment that you need information and receive it means that you could access this worldwide network of healthcare professionals who are there to help you with your case.” All this provides better patient care, shorter wait times and hopefully lower costs in the healthcare system – in theory. It would be great if patients could share photos with a team of doctors to get insights and diagnosis. Check out the article on apps to connect with your doctor.

The tech race to glucose monitoring will be a Win-Win

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apple glucoseIt was reported today that Apple has a secret team working on sensors that will monitor and assist in the treatment for diabetes. Actually it has not been a secret as they have been working on this for a couple years, but it sounds like they may be closer. The rumor is that Apple has hired a small team of biomedical engineers to work at a nondescript office in Palo Alto, California, miles from corporate headquarters. They are part of a secret plan, initially envisioned by Steve Jobs, to develop sensors that can non-invasively and continuously monitor blood sugar levels to better treat diabetes. Jobs envisioned wearable devices, like smartwatches, being used to monitor important vitals, such as oxygen levels, heart rate and blood glucose. 

“In the US there are 30 million people with diabetes”

Make no mistake, a breakthrough like this would be a huge money maker. Just in the US there are 30 million people with diabetes – maybe not all Apple watch owners, but you get the picture. It could turn the Apple Watch into a “must have” rather than a “nice to have” for people who would benefit from an easier way to track their blood sugar – no more pricks to the finger.

google glucose
Apple isn’t the only technology company eyeing opportunities in the space. Verily, Google’s life sciences team, is currently working on a “smart” contact lens to measure blood sugar via the eye, and it partnered up with DexCom in 2015 to develop a glucose-sensing device no bigger than a bandage. Verily is also working with Sanofi to do the same thing. Sanofi announced the end of last year that “the company will leverage Verily’s experience in miniaturized electronics, analytics, and consumer software development, with Sanofi’s clinical expertise and experience in bringing innovative treatments to people living with diabetes.” 

Whether or not its not all about the money, a tech breakthrough like this will positively affect so many people. Having known so many people with the disease myself, I can say that even simplifying the task of measuring your blood everyday, will be a big relief for diabetes patients. May the best tech company win – as well as patients. Win-Win.

The glucose monitoring software is already there.

Merck Uses Amazon Echo to Develop Voice-Enabled Solutions for Diabetic Patients

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echoHealthcare devices have been making big strides over the last few years. And the announcement below from Merck is no exception. Merck plans on using Amazon Web Services to develop voice-enabled solutions for patients. They will be starting with Type 2 Diabetes and then venturing out to other chronic diseases. It’s good to see that Pharma is stepping outside the box to help patients use technology in a smart and intuitive way. The press release below goes into the current details of the project.

“Analysts estimate Amazon will sell more than 110 million Amazon Echo devices over the next four years, and many are already pointing to healthcare as an important item on Alexa’s eventual to-do list.”

It looks like people will soon go far beyond turning on lights or calling an Uber. As we venture deeper into healthcare, helping people better manage their diseases will create effective outcomes. Reminding people of their nutrition intake, or scheduling their insulin dosages, are all great ideas. The Merck-sponsored Alexa challenge will call on developers to push the boundaries of voice technology for people with diabetes.

merck logo

Merck Press release:

Merck is working with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to explore the creation and delivery of innovative digital consumer solutions for people living with chronic disease by using Amazon Lex, the same deep learning technologies that power Amazon Alexa. Merck will initially focus on diabetes, a chronic, progressive disease that currently affects 415 million people around the world.

“We have a deep heritage of tackling chronic diseases through our medicines, and we have been expanding into other ways to help, beyond the pill.” said Kimberly Park, vice president, Customer Strategy & Innovation, Global Human Health, Merck. “We are excited to leverage the AWS Cloud to find innovative ways to leverage digital solutions, such as voice-activated technology, to help support better outcomes that could make a difference in the lives of those suffering from chronic conditions like diabetes.”

“We are pleased to work with Merck to explore how Merck can use the AWS Cloud to help create new solutions within health care that can connect people with information to help improve management of their own health” said Steve Halliwell, director of health care and life sciences, AWS.

This collaboration will leverage the expertise of both organizations — Merck’s expertise in epidemiology, drug development, observational research, medication adherence and patient education programs, and Amazon’s expertise in web services, connected devices and voice interfaces.

In addition, Merck is sponsoring an open innovation challenge that calls on developers to create a skill for Alexa, the cloud-based voice service that powers the Amazon Echo, to help support people living with diabetes. The Merck sponsored challenge will be independently developed and run by Luminary Labs and members of the challenge team from Luminary Labs will be at the 2017 HIMSS Annual Conference & Exhibition.

 

 This is an intense look at the future of healthcare technology from TEDx.

Google is in deep with Artificial Intelligence

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DeepMind is a Google owned company dedicated to making computers that think and act like humans. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is expanding and evolving at a fast pace, much do to big investments.

google deepmind
Robot Evolution

Google is serious about AI as can be seen by its show of big announcements in recent weeks — the improved Google Translate machine learning tricks, its voice-controlled speaker system Home, and their new smartphone line Pixel (which is equipped with the virtual Assistant). All this is evidence of their dedication to the science of artificial intelligence. But now Google has ramped up its investments in what’s known as “deep learning”. In 2012, Google had two deep-learning projects underway. Today, Google has more than 1,000 deep-learning projects in every major product category, including search, maps, translation, and self-driving cars.

google deepmind

Digital Trends says that deep learning refers to a kind of AI that enables software to train itself to perform tasks, like speech and image recognition. The algorithms behind this kind of AI have been around since the 1980s and 1990s, Fortune reports, but it’s only in recent years that technology companies have been able to harness its true potential thanks to the explosion of easily accessible big data. Google launched its deep-learning project Google Brain in 2011, and in 2014 it bought DeepMind, a pioneering reinforcement learning program that’s been shattering AI landmarks in gameplay this year.

“Deepmind has also invested in healthcare and now has up to 40 employees.”

The expansion of DeepMind Health comes as the company looks to do increasing amounts of work with the NHS. The company has announced three NHS partnerships so far, including an eyecare project, a kidney monitoring project and a cancer detection project. None of the projects hold any commercial value for DeepMind but the company eventually plans to start charging the NHS and others for access to its products and services.

VR, Robots, and Pharma are Hot at SXSW

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It’s hot in Austin – literally. But besides being 96 degrees in Austin, there is a “Lot of Hot” going on at SXSW. Even Obama can’t bring this event down (Note to self: don’t tell the tech community that their phones are just black boxes). Still in all a big surprise interview – see interview below. The normal things like VR, robots and the connected Internet of Things is draped across SXSW, but of interest is Pharma looking to connect the brain to treat chronic diseases,

electroceutical sxswElectroceuticals

One of the most interesting topics is electroceuticals and Big Pharma. A recently coined term that broadly encompasses all bioelectronic medicine that employs electrical stimulation to affect and modify functions of the body. GSK is now planning clinical trials for implanted devices that will provide bioelectric treatments for three chronic diseases. Currently, GSK is focused on devices that will be implanted on peripheral nerves in the body; controling signals in the brain is “orders of magnitude” harder, Slaoui said. But working with peripheral nerves that lead to major organs provides plenty of opportunities to treat chronic diseases. Slaoui rattled off a list of ailments that included obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, asthma, and arthritis.

These devices would be programmed to read and modify electrical signals that pass along nerves of the body, including irregular or altered impulses that can occur in association with a broad range of diseases. The hope is that through these devices, disorders as diverse as inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis, asthma, hypertension and diabetes could be treated. We believe bioelectronic medicines could allow us to treat these with greater precision and fewer side effects than with conventional medicines.  

sxsw vrVirtual reality is everywhere

No surprise that virtual reality (VR) has been a key part of the SXSW experience for the past few years, with the Game of Thrones VR experience and Samsung’s Gear VR both standing out in past years. This year, virtual reality is at the forefront.

Panels are on tap to discuss everything from Cinematic VR, virtual football, and VR storytelling to city planning using social VR. And the event features various branded installations such as the Samsung Gear VR Lounge and the McDonald’s Loft.

Jibo sxswArtificial intelligence and emotive robotics

Meet your new companion. Jibo. Think of the qualities in a friend – empathy, playfulness and fun. In this talk, MIT social roboticist Cynthia Breazeal will share how Jibo, an attentive and expressive home helper, and social robots are creating space for humanized engagement with technology that makes consumers feel as if they’re interacting with someone, and not something.

Jibo is one of the most advanced robots on display at SXSW this year, offering a two-way interactive and expressive experience that is helpful and thought provoking to the user, making it feel like a human-to-human interaction.

mcdonalds-food-truck-hed-2015Connected everything – IoT meets Fast Food

In the IoT competition, McDonald’s says it wants to see how it can use the new technology in its 14,000 US stores and kitchens to help it “better know and understand consumer behavior.”

“IoT has the ability to upend almost every facet of our lives, and in this session, we will hear from startups making waves in this space,” the company said.

McDonald’s will also hear pitches from 0n-demand startups, presumably so the fast-food giant can glean insights into mobile food ordering. “Recent innovations have solved many of the logistical and economical challenges to make this world of mobility possible, and we’re just at the start of this massive shift allowing for greater levels of convenience,” McDonald’s said. “In this session, we will hear from startups further ushering us into the next wave of mobility and their applications to the everyday food space.”

The connected cheeseburger is very close.

Obama @ SXSW 

 

Watson @ SXSW

3 Things Google’s “Verily” is Solving in Healthcare

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Googles new venture “Verily” has a big vision for healthcare and solving the mysteries of the world. They are taking this on in a whole new light with a whole new prescription. Imagine a chemist and an engineer and a doctor and a behavioral scientist, all working together to truly understand health and to better prevent, detect, and manage disease. Picture a world in which technology and life sciences are not distinct, but partners with a united mission.

Verily GoogleThat’s the world Google wants to create. Their multidisciplinary teams have access to advanced research tools, large scale computing power, and unique technical expertise. They are gaining partners from across the industry and many fields of research to develop new technology, launch studies, and start companies.

Verily’s mission “is to bring together technology and life sciences to uncover new truths about health and disease.”

Developing new ways to treat and manage diabetes.

But in a sign that the company is serious about making real progress, it’s not diving into diabetes research alone. It is working with French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies.

Verily screenshot 2Google wanted to do more than dabble in biomedical research were growing even before Google co-founder Sergey Brin said its life sciences operation would be spun out as an independent company under Google’s reorganization into Alphabet. Google has in recent months hired prominent scientists, including immunologists, neurologist and even nanoparticle engineers to feed its life sciences ambitions.

Diabetes is a logical starting point. The life sciences unit already has developed a contact lens for measuring blood glucose levels, and it recently signed a deal with medical equipment company Dexcom to develop a cheap and convenient continuous glucose monitoring device.

Google says this focus on diabetes marks a move away from a “tech centric” approach to a “disease centric” approach. 

“New technologies could make it simple for a physician to understand when a patient’s blood sugar is tracking high for days in a row,” Google says, “or could offer new ways for a patient to get real-time information and specific guidance about diet or insulin dosage.”

Google Inc.’s life sciences group has created a health-tracking wristband

This is a rugged device that could be used in clinical trials and drug tests, giving researchers or physicians minute-by-minute data on how patients are faring.

The experimental device, can measure pulse, heart rhythm and skin temperature, and also environmental information like light exposure and noise levels. It won’t be marketed as a consumer device, said Andy Conrad, head of the life sciences team at Google.

google wrist“Our intended use is for this to become a medical device that’s prescribed to patients or used for clinical trials,” Conrad said in a telephone interview.

Google offers health-monitoring smartwatch features in its Android Wear software platform for consumers, through partners such as Moto, LG Electronics Inc., Samsung and others, but most existing consumer devices aren’t rigorous enough for research, said Conrad. This is not meant to be a consumer product but a technological advance in patient researching.

Medication reminders that know when you’re eating and 4 other Google digital health patents

Google has filed a patent for a smartwatch-type device that could detect when an individual is eating and issue a reminder for patients to take their medication, MobiHealthNews reported.

Medication reminder
Google patent for a needle-free blood drawing device. It could be in the form of a wrist wearable or a handheld device.

The medication reminder patent is the latest filed by Verily. The device has “one or more sensors,” and it figures out when a person is eating, partly using “pre-defined activity data that are indicative of an act of a human consuming an ingestible substance.” Activity data could include the speed and length of a person’s motions and the rotations involved. For example, the actions involved in scooping up soup with a spoon could be familiar to the device, and could be enough to trigger a notification.

Commitment

Verily’s business is fairly simplistic: It develops medical devices (like its smart contact lens) and advanced software, then licenses these to pharmaceutical and medical companies which will likely sell them. But Verily is also going deeper into the medical field. It’s conducting several clinical studies and experimenting with genetic sequencing and drug discovery.

googleAs of July 2014, members of the research team include Andrew Conrad, founder of LabCorp‘s National Genetics Institute; Vik Bajaj, an expert in nuclear magnetic resonance; Marija Pavlovic, who studies the effect of radiation on DNA; Alberto Vitari, a cancer biologist; Brian Otis, who worked on Google Venture’s glucose-sensing contact lens; and Mark DePristo, who worked on the GATK at the Broad Institute. Dr. Thomas R. Insel announced on Sept. 15, 2015, that he was resigning as the director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to join this division.

It is exciting to get a new perspective on healthcare research and disease management.

The Verily Story

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