Summary:
A Spanish SME is developing an online service to help in neuropathologist diagnosis analyzing the cognitive impairment through an objective and quantitative neural network activity analysis (Functional connectivity - FC) using EEG technology. They offer highly innovative technology for the analysis of cognitive functions, both in healthy subjects and in patients with neurodegenerative pathologies.
They are looking to establish commercial, financial or research cooperation agreements.
Description:
Dementia affects about 50 million people worldwide and 10 million new cases are reported each year. The main problem is that no treatment to cure dementia exists, and the best tool to combat the disease is an early and accurate diagnostic, but there is any efficient tool in the market able to do that. So, the need to develop a safe, simple, low cost, fast diagnosis tool to use since the first stages of the disease is the key point to stop the incidence of these pathologies.
Therefore, the company has developed an algorithm capable of analyzing the state of neural networks, comparing it with a database of healthy subjects of the same age and sex as the patient (±5 years), in order to obtain an objective and accurate measure of the degree of existing cognitive impairment.
The SME uses the last EEG technology, which compared to other Neuroimaging techniques such as fMRI, is much more economical and accessible, as well as portable and harmless for the patient.
Their service, once the EEG recording is done, is performed through an online platform, which automatically returns a report where the state of the neural networks is analyzed in just a few minutes. This report is supervised and signed by a clinical neurophysiologist who issues a conclusion of high value for the medical professional when establishing a diagnosis.
The company is an intensive in research SME that began its journey in the field of strategic consulting. Actually, they are specialized in innovation and in transferring results obtained in the scientific field to practical and effective solutions at the business level. One of their objectives is to transfer the scientific knowledge in the field of health, and therefore they have conducted several pilot studies to test the algorithm accuracy, and also, they are beginning to conduct clinical studies in real environments in collaboration with national hospitals and clinics for a complete development of the product.
Currently, the company is looking to establish commercial, financial or research cooperation agreements to develop and optimize the service and establish possible synergies for a future partners’ network development.
Type (e.g. company, R&D institution…), field of industry and Role of Partner Sought:
For the development of their product, the SME aims mainly to find partners such as hospitals, research centers, clinics, insurance companies, who can provide them with patients to test the effectiveness of the service and/or perform clinical studies with different pathologies. It would be also considered to be interested in implementing their service after having tested its effectiveness.
Initially, they would look for international partners, to start with the implementation of the service in Europe, but the idea is that it can be developed outside the EU in the coming years, in USA and/or LATAM. Because of being an online service, our growth potential is very high. In order to do this, they must establish a network of key stakeholders to help them prescribe the service and also to provide it locally, in each country.
The way of cooperation is via financial, research cooperation or commercial agreement.
Stage of Development:
Available for demonstration
Comments Regarding Stage of Development:
Currently, they have completed the development of the analysis algorithm, have conducted a double-blind scientific study at international level, and several pilot studies in a real environment that corroborate a high degree of efficiency in the level of reliability and accuracy of statistical analyses (>95%) applied to functional connectivity metrics. In addition, they are developing and implementing the interface that will manage the service from a cloud platform and are in the process of applying for the CE marking for the commercial exploitation of the product at national and international level.
To develop the functional connectivity analysis that establishes the state of the cognitive functions of our patients, it is only necessary to perform an EEG recording with a minimum of 32 channels (actually, we are working in doing the same analysis with different EEG equipment to avoid this limitation), making two 10-minute recordings in resting state, one with the eyes open and the other with the eyes closed.
They must also have as much clinical information as possible in order not to misinterpret the results (medication, previous pathologies, surgical interventions, etc).
The data analysis is performed through a cloud platform, automatically, and is reviewed by a neurophysiologist who can make an appointment (online) to explain the results to the clinician, if necessary, before transferring them to the patient.
IPR Status:
Secret Know-how,Trade Marks
Comments Regarding IPR Status:
Currently, they are looking for a way to patent the software together with the big data process needed to get the report.
External code:
TOES20210302001
