Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Picterus (A remote and price efficient tool for jaundice screening)
Reporting period: 2019-02-01 to 2019-05-31
Worldwide, 114.000 newborns die each year due to neonatal jaundice, a common condition caused by elevated levels of bilirubin. Approximately the same number of children grow up with permanent disabilities associated with brain damage when jaundice is not diagnosed early and treated. Current solutions for jaundice diagnosis require hospital laboratory facilities for blood testing and newborn monitoring by professional healthcare workers. Estimations indicate that jaundice management increases healthcare costs €1.684 million every year. In answer, Picterus have developed innovative technology based on biomedical optics and photonics complemented with machine learning algorithms that facilitate accurate remote diagnosis of jaundice by taking a simple picture with a Smartphone. The main objective of the project is to optimise and validate Picterus as well as engage relevant stakeholders to initiate the finalisation of our technology.
We have carried out extensive research on biomedical optics. We finished a clinical trial at St Olav University Hospital with 140 newborns, which proved that our technology works properly for Caucasian newborns and we are currently gathering data to test it on other skin types. This first version needs an online connection to work and the plan is to develop an offline version that works on both android and IOS. During the realisation of the Feasibility Study we have describe in detail the next steps to follow in order to reach TRL9, defining the technical, commercial and financial roadmap for commercialisation of Picterus.
Unlike the current solutions used for jaundice diagnosis, Picterus is a cheap and effective tool that gives instantaneous results for the diagnosis of jaundice. It is easy to use, non-invasive, high sensitivity and allows remote monitoring and diagnosis. The reduction in healthcare costs, due to remote and low-cost diagnosis of neonatal jaundice, will allow better allocation of resources in other important medical areas, but our contribution to solving the problems associated with jaundice in low- and middle-income countries (where current tools are often too expensive for a routine use) will produce a more significant impact. Through implementation and commercialisation of Picterus, we have projected that our global turnover will reach €39 million and create a total of 14 direct jobs by the 5th year of commercialisation.