Matthias Meunier

Electric minds: how electricity and computing are already transforming our brains

Matthias Meunier — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:21:00 GMT

Following my recent post about Ray Kurzweil, I was happy when I stumbled upon another film about the fusion of human beings and technology that's less controversial, but still equally breathtaking. Directed by Nadav Harel, The Electric Mind shows how four patients with brain disorders are benefiting from electronic manipulation of their brains.

From the trailer alone, this looks like an intelligent view of how our understanding of the brain is leading to better outcomes for patients. I also hope that it's going to be an intelligent jumping off point for a discussion about how this kind of technology will evolve.

According to the film makers, it "raises significant questions about the invasion of technology into the human, the prospects of electrical self-transformation and, most intriguingly perhaps, the very conception of the self - the mystery of our mind."

By the way, I emailed the producers last week and they say they are putting the finishing touches to film right now and opening dates for the autumn should be announced shortly.

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Ray Kurzweil, a singular soul

Matthias Meunier — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 15:49:00 GMT

To what extent can human beings merge with machines? If you're Ray Kurzweil, the answer is 'pretty soon'. The co-founder of the Singularity University predicts that in 25 years' time, it will be impossible to tell the difference between the 'consciousness' of a computer and that of a human being.

Unsurprisingly he's a controversial figure who also prophesises that by the 2030s people will be able to achieve some kind of eternal life by backing up their brains. Put it another way, the notion of artifical intelligence will become redundant - human beings and technology will become one and the same and we will become the AI, not a machine.

It's provocative stuff, but there's no doubt Kurzweil is a master at conveying his message. Later this year sees the release of Transcendent Man, a documentary that explains in greater detail Kurzweil's background along with the family history and education that made him such a prominent figure in innovation circles.

You can view a trailer here, followed by an interview where Kurzweil explains in greater detail the coming fusion between human beings and technology.

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Medical imaging goes high res on the iPad

Matthias Meunier — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 14:08:00 GMT

It's no great surprise that medical imaging applications are taking off on the iPad. For starters, the high definition touch screen is ideal for presentation and manipulation of scans, X-rays and three-dimensional animations.

But even so, I'm still blown away by the visual experience on offer. Here are just a couple of examples. First of all, Calgary Scientific’s ResolutionMD Mobile app which has already received approval for use by Canadian physicians. You can already get this on the iPhone, but the scaled up version on the iPad is fantastic, not just for the eyes, but for any radiologist who wants a highly portable and flexible device that you can carry in one hand and 'pinch and zoom' with the other.

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I'm also a big fan of mobimed's 3D Brain for the iPAD. I've got a similar application on my iPhone, but once again the superior screen and processing speed of the iPAD take this to a completely different level. As well as being able to identify the functions associated with different parts of the brain, you can also find conditions and diseases associated with a particular lobe, and read case studies on these topics. I also like the search function that takes you quickly to the subject and background information that you need.

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Like I say, there's more to medical applications on the iPhone than pretty pictures, but the rate at which these applications are being launched there's no reason why these devices shouldn't be standard for the in-patient office, operating theatre and occupational therapy to name just three. I'm also excited by the launch of similar devices, especially tablet computers running Android, and Wjndows 7, all slated for launch later this year. Once the competition catches up with Apple, and it will in 12 months or so, the healthcare industry will be spoilt for choice.

Laproscopy game puts fun back into surgeon training

Matthias Meunier — Fri, 28 May 2010 09:12:00 GMT

Another quick follow up to the business of virtual surgery and the cybergloves that we demonstrated at Ideaworks Germany. Here's a quick video, courtesy of the folks at Medgadget, of the latest version of the laproscopy video game from Grendel Games. The most important point here is that this isn't a simulator. Instead it aims to encourage trainee surgeons to practice their skills by offering them an exiciting and engaging gaming environment.

Medgadget reports: He (Tim Laning, Co-Founder, Grendel Games) went on to say while ultra-realistic laparoscopy simulators are effective and impressive pieces of technology, they are expensive and more importantly, they aren't fun. Residents don't seem to train as much on simulators as they should be. His solution is to create a game that gives the user the psychomotor training he needs to be an effective minimally invasive surgeon, while also being fun and interesting."

You can read the full story on Medgadet here.

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Turning surgery into a video game? The gloves are off

Matthias Meunier — Wed, 26 May 2010 15:11:00 GMT

When I posted a story a few days ago about the 'cyber gloves' that we demonstrated at Ideaworks Germany, a lot of people contacted me to point out the similarities between the demo and motion detection entertainment such as the Nintendo Wii and Microsoft's forthcoming Project Natal.

So are we trying to turn surgery into a video game? Not exactly, but there is a strong connection between the technologies involved, and the growing sophistication of these systems suggest plenty of synergies. We already know that surgeons who play video games are more dexterous and have sharper reactions. And there are early examples of training tools that use this approach to help aspiring surgeons develop important coordination skills. Here’s a good video of this approach in action.

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Cybergloves at Ideaworks Germany: A helping hand for surgeons

Matthias Meunier — Wed, 05 May 2010 16:04:00 GMT

One of the main challenges facing surgeons is that mid-operation you sometimes need to refer to images and records in addition to those that have been attached to the surgery wall. Rather than wait for a colleague to dig out the information from an archive in the hospital, the surgeon can use the gloves to manipulatee the radiology system and find the image that's needed. In this case, a classic example of an object left behind after a previous procedure.Ok, it's a rather dramatic example, but it's more common than you think. And it also gave me the opportunity to show how to highlight the region of interest before adding it to the worklist.

Feedback, as we hoped, was extremely useful. Many people could see the benefits, but others had useful advice about enhancements. We also heard from surgeons who frequently find themselves in this position. And there were a few realists as well who could see how the technology worked, but were equally keen to get their imaging systems fit for purpose in the first place. We'll take these comments and loop them into the next round of development. Look out for more news in coming months.

From clusters to clouds: Welcome to the internet of things

Matthias Meunier — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 09:28:00 GMT

The internet of things isn't a new idea. We've been talking about a world of connected devices and smart systems for a number of years.

But the number of these intelligent networks is rapidly growing: From taxi firms using GPS technology to assign journeys, to smart buildings that reduce energy consumption. The openness of wireless networks and data standards also suggest that we are on the verge of a tipping point as we connect these clusters into 'clouds' of meaningful information. Some analysts even believe that there are more connected devices than people using internet protocols to connect online.

Healthcare, of course, has its own vision. The internet of things can help us better manage the spread of infectious disease, while 'wearable' devices can already transmit information to clincians and carers in real time. If that still sounds too abstract, take a look at this video: Five things that will change the way we live in the next five years. All of these projects are achievable; most are already under way in forward looking cities. A clusters become clouds, the internet of things is already upon us.

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The healthcare cloud revisited

Matthias Meunier — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:40:00 GMT

At the start of this year I wrote about some of the issues facing the future of cloud computing in healthcare. Compliance and privacy were obviously concerns and I suggested that one way around these challenges was to host on bordered and locally defined clouds.

So it's good to see cloud computing and virtualisation vendors starting to address the issue. Logicworks made a big splash at HIMSS the other week, with the announcement that web-based EHR provider nextEMR will become a Logicworks private cloud customer. The agreement ticks most of the important boxes. Logicworks emphasises compliance with both HIPAA and the Privacy and Security Rules Act. At the same time, nextEMR is promoting compliance with meaningful use criteria.

There's some interesting detail in the article. Logicworks also offers a hybrid cloud which allows EHR suppliers to host their EMR database on traditional, non-virtualised environments, while adding applications on the cloud when necessary.

It will be interesting to see whether or not there are any lock-in issues here. I'm also keen to know whether or not this model can be used for cross-border data exchange, given that many countries require data to be 'sealed' within their borders. Even so it's clear that the destinies of cloud computing and healthcare are closely linked, especially where meaningful use is concerned.

Is this the future face of user interfaces?

Matthias Meunier — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 16:24:00 GMT

I'm intrigued by this new application from The Astonishing Tribe, a company that's already made a name for itself with innovative UX features for the Android family of smartphones.

I can see an application like this being used in emergency scenarios, where a patient is unconscious, or unable to talk. Or even as a simple biometric system for confirming identities. And in a simple way, I love the way it organises information - literally - around the individual.

There's some debate whether this is just a mock up, or the real thing. Either way, it's opened my eyes to another possibility for biometrics in healthcare. Take a look.

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Your patient is a database

Matthias Meunier — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:48:00 GMT

Why the convergence of scientific, academic and government data, and the 'database' of the citizen is the future of healthcare

I could make a strong argument that we are all database managers. For example, consider the user experience of a simple consumer photo application such as Picasa. Every photograph can contain a tremendous amount of information: who took it and when, the camera type, the focal length – to name but a few fields. But I'm intrigued by the way that you can add layers of public data to your private content. In the case of Picasa, you can use Google's mapping data to add an additional layer of meaning to your photos.

Of course the world of 'mash-ups' has been with us for a while. But I'd like to extend the metaphor. When I post a comment on Facebook, for example, comments from my friends enrich the original statement. Their likes and dislikes, some context for my statement, maybe a direct answer to my question. LinkedIn is another example with a professional focus where data converges to create meaning in our day to day lives.

Convergence is something of a buzzword across all industries, but particularly in healthcare. Technology is bringing patients and medical professionals' activities together so they overlap, resulting in new ideas, greater efficiencies and expanded functionality. And new opportunities.

The consequences of convergence for electronic health records (EHRs) could be extremely important. Currently, EHRs provide consistent, structured and cohesive information about patients, but these strengths could potentially hold them back from further development. The greatest hope for medicine lies in finding a way to combine medical data from the private citizen with a wider range of information available.

What if patients received their electronic health record in an open format that allowed them to mash it up with other information they, or their doctors, might find relevant? Information, such as family medical history, or location could help doctors identify causes of illness and contributing factors, and even inspire research.

If this was the case, would there be room for third parties? A new breed of medical/social data analysts could emerge, taking patients’ EHR and combining it with other information to help reach more informed health decisions.

Who, in the world, has the software and the processing power to do this? Google? Microsoft? Apple perhaps? It would also need to be an organisation that could manage the huge privacy issues involved as well. One thing's for sure, however: We still fail to make the most of patient generated data and private records, even EHRs. But if we can share financial information with big online brands, then who knows?

Ideaworks, putting the patient at the heart of healthcare, Twitter (and Wordle) style

Matthias Meunier — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 17:25:00 GMT

I've just had a chance to look at the Twitter activity around the Ideaworks event in Amsterdam. There were more than 100 Tweets alone, not counting retweets and clickthroughs. Lots of quotes and definitely a lot of interest around touch screen technology and iPhones - hardly surprising given all the hype of the past couple of weeks.

In the end I ran the Tweets through Wordle, which is a great way to visualise content and pick out most popular words. It was reassuring to see that patient was the most popular term, and hospitals unsurprisingly. Social media was another hot topic and so perhaps we shouldn't be amazed that friends and consumer are also in the frame.

Finally, one or two phrases are conspicuous by their (near) absence. PHR is tucked away in the corner - perhaps that's a reflection of the effort required to re-ignite interest in this topic.

Every innovation needs a great story

Matthias Meunier — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:12:00 GMT

Everyone knows the challenge of writing a short CV or a biography. And like most people I've got a standard text that I adapt for my colleagues, the next conference or a research paper.

But when I meet someone for the very first time, especially when they don't work in healthcare or IT, I often tell them I'm a storyteller. Is that crazy? Why not medical officer, why not technology evangelist? Simple really, it's just too messy.

Then again, I don't choose 'storyteller' because it's an easy job. Far from it. It's a difficult skill, but as medics and technology evangelists, it's the best hope we've got of helping patients and medical professionals to understand what we can achieve.

Here's a great example of what I mean, made by a company called Airstrip. It has all the elements of great story: life, death, birth, suspense, a determined hero, and a little bit of magic. If we could all tell stories as well as this short video, who knows what we could achieve.

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Is your patient already an iPad evangelist?

Matthias Meunier — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 12:15:00 GMT

Almost one week on and the dust is beginning to settle on the iPad launch. Unsurprisingly, there have been plenty of articles on its potential impact in healthcare. Here's a quick summary of the arguments:

For: speed, display clarity, connectivity, battery life, iPhone app compatibility, overall ease of use.

Against: Not waterproof (can't be disinfected), no multi-tasking, fragility, enterprise resistance to a new OS where most IT departments are dominated by Microsoft,

There's something to be said for all these views. But I think a lot of people have missed the point by focusing on the buy-in of clinicians and IT decision makers in healthcare rather than the end user.

Put it this way. There are a growing number of people gathering personal health and lifestyle data on portable devices. The iPhone is the most popular with a range of apps for everything from fitness and diet to cardiology. As each of these apps gathers information on a daily basis, your patient becomes a walking database.

What does this mean for the healthcare profession? Well, most people at the front line are used to dealing with a patient or relative brandishing a print out from the Web. Now imagine a patient walking into a surgery with an iPhone or iPad and asking the doctor, "Can you copy this data from my device?".

Ok, so data sharing isn't one of Apple's greatest strengths in the mobile device sector, although the technology exists to upload and share. But imagine a scenario where your diabetes diary or cardiogram moves seamlessly to a tablet that both doctor and patient can view simultaneously while the doctor 'adds value' by bringing his or her expertise to bear on the data. In this way, the patient becomes a tablet evangelist and it's this groundswell of influence that could drive acceptance at the front line and further back into the enterprise IT layer. Add to this the fact that most doctors 'get' the iPhone, and many use it professionally, and you can see why the iPad might get some traction in healthcare.

One last thought before we get carried away. One of the main disappointments of the iPad is that it isn't a game changer like the iPhone. Which means that tablet computers, with multi-tasking and a camera, will be a commodity by the end of this year. This, in turn, will drive down tablet prices to approximately $350 (the price of a mid-range netbook even before they tumbled last week). In spite of its elegance and a six month head start, the iPad is unlikely to dominate healthcare like its older brother. 2010 will be the year of the tablet in healthcare, just don't expect it to be an Apple exclusive.

GSK decision to open up Malaria patents makes perfect sense in age of open source and crowd sourcing

Matthias Meunier — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:58:00 GMT

GSK’s announcement that it will make its Malaria compound archives publicly available has grabbed headlines and invited plenty of comments. Many are sceptical that such a huge company should open up the doors on its research and take a stand for social responsibility against shareholder value.

But in the age of open source technologies and crowd sourcing there’s a lot of sense in this decision. GSK is releasing details of 13,500 compounds, which may or may not eventually lead to a more effective treatment for malaria. That’s a lot of information, a lot of research and a lot of investment, even for a company as big as GSK.

In the interview with today’s Guardian, Andrew Witty, CEO, Glaxo-SmithKline says: "Given that there is only a handful of big companies who focus on malaria, this is a chance to get thousands of researchers involved – just like software companies encourage thousands of people to contribute their new ideas for software – and we'll see what comes of it." He is also expected to pledge a U.S.$8m fund to pay for scientists to explore these chemicals or others in an "open lab" within GSK’s research centre at Tres Cantos, Spain, which focuses on work on malaria and other diseases of the developing world.

So imagine a scenario where smaller organisations use this IP to begin their own research. Some might reach a dead end. Others may make progress. Now consider what would happen if smaller groups banded together, perhaps with some backing from GSK based on their advances to date. Further success and a fully-fledged product would almost certainly be distributed by GSK. Not a bad deal for an innovative, entrepreneurial, start up.

Of course that’s hugely optimistic. Even after untold millions of dollars of research, a cure for malaria is still a long way away. But it represents a new mindset that might make eventually remove one of the biggest barriers to healthy populations, education and economic development. It’s good news for innovators and entrepreneurs in healthcare. One day it might be even better good for the millions of people for whom malaria is such a savage burden.

Sky's the limit? Overcoming obstacles to cloud computing for healthcare

Matthias Meunier — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:35:00 GMT

At first glance cloud computing is the answer to the many of the challenges facing healthcare IT today. It offers improved scalability and performance in areas where large, batch-oriented tasks, recognition algorithms or just sheer computing power are required. Biometrics, genomic databases, semantic web and data mining are just a few of the candidates for this kind of computational heavy lifting.

But we need to solve several obstacles – many of them linked to regulatory issues – before we can reap the rewards.

Avoiding lock-in: A cloud computing service typically has a single-point-of-failure (that of the vendor). And if you do decide that you need built in redundancy, there’s no guarantee that the modifications required to run the system in another vendor’s cloud will work due to a lack of standardised APIs.

Debugging: As well as avoiding ‘lock–in’ to a single vendor, debugging large distributed systems can be problematic particularly if you fail to to reproduce the error in smaller environments.

Licensing: Healthcare solution providers moving their products onto cloud platforms need to manage existing contracts and service level agreements, which may not fit the constraints of the cloud model. Adjustments to established software licensing models will be common.

Compliance matters: There’s some way to go before the cloud model meets the rigorous security and data protection demands of the healthcare industry. Data transfer between a local client and a remote server is not secure, although development work using SSL/TLS encoding could solve that problem soon. Another approach is encryption and decryption of transferred data, but there has to be a guarantee that performance won’t suffer.

Data privacy: This is still a big challenge, particularly government regulation such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). A lot of countries have compliance policies regarding record-keeping, including the physical location of medical data. Cloud vendors could address this by providing bordered and locally defined clouds.

In spite of these issues there’s no question that cloud computing has an important role to play in the future of healthcare IT. Potential improvements in performance along with reduced costs make it almost inevitable. But there’s some hard work to be done by vendors, governments and standards bodies alike before we hit the heights.