AI and blockchain deal with strokes
Skipr Editing
21 March 2018
A builder of medical artificial intelligence and a supplier of blockchain technology will work together to improve the outcome of strokes to reduce mortality. This is done by algorithms that quickly assess brain scans and by exchanging this medical information safely through blockchain. The savings are estimated at € 200 million per year on the € 1.7 billion economic costs of strokes in the Netherlands.
That is what Nico.lab and Tymlez state in a joint press release. Nico.lab is a spin-off of the AMC and builder of medical artificial intelligence (AI). Tymlez is a supplier of blockchian technology for companies. They are starting a pilot this month in a number of hospitals. Nico.lab and Tymlez received a subsidy from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate.
Brain scans
After dementia and cancer, strokes are the leading cause of death in the Netherlands. To reduce mortality, rapid treatment is crucial. Every hour that doctors start treating, the number of patients who will recover without major problems will increase by 15 percent. Stroke care stands or falls with a quick determination of the exact location of the blood clot in the brain. That process is still time-consuming and not always accurate. By looking at scans with AI, this can be done much faster and better. That happens at Nico.lab. The brain scans are then uniquely coded, so that they can only be shared via blockchain with chain participants who are authorized to do so.
