Eye detection can advance the early diagnosis of neurological, ocular or degenerative diseases by up to 10 years
It is now possible to intervene on patients without using their hands or to guide remote operations by specialized medical teams between hospitals anywhere in the world.
Gesture recognition or eye tracking allows medical staff to consult information on a computer in any non-invasive intervention
Medical technology has an annual turnover of 7,960 million euros
Technology surprises every day with applications that seem to be taken from science fiction. However, in recent years great strides have been made to move from being futuristic to being real, applied technologies on a daily basis. In the last year, investigations have accelerated and the fundamental role that technology plays for the health of the population, for the functioning of the medical system and for society in general has been highlighted. It has proven to be a very effective tool and has an important role in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of pathologies, as well as the efficient management of medical spaces and processes. We need to take advantage of the full potential that this industry can bring to society, and that is because the health technology sector is an engine for the economy, with an annual turnover of EUR 7.960 billion (1).
It is therefore not surprising that, globally, the touchless market is expected to reach a turnover of € 13,000 million in 2025 (2) and that 50% of applications include at least one type of touchless experience, such as it would be appearance, voice, gestures or virtual reality or augmented reality in two years (3).
“It’s not science fiction. The technology allows infinite medical applications with high impact on patients’ lives and the capabilities of medical staff. However, it is essential that researchers have access to these technologies to investigate and develop their full potential in healthcare. Technology companies should make their devices and developments available to medical staff and institutions free of charge to allow for substantial progress. From Irisbond we promote various initiatives in this regard and we have already transferred our technology and devices to different research centers in pilot projects of different types “, says Eduardo Jáuregui, CEO of Irisbond.
That is why the Spanish company Irisbond highlights 5 technological applications that are revolutionizing medicine.
Early diagnosis of diseases such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s
It is extremely effective in diagnosing neurological, degenerative or vision disorders; as well as the treatment of many ailments for both the elderly and children. It has been found that the use of eye tracking technology can advance the diagnosis of diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s or dementia by as long as 10 years, greatly improving recovery and treatment, as well as a change in the patient’s quality of life. This application is especially important given the progressive aging of today’s society, which is a challenge for medicine around the world. See the paper published in 2019 (4)
Eye detection offers enormous potential for neurology, with this technology vital neurophysiological data can be obtained daily from the elderly population, thus facilitating diagnosis, prognosis and follow-up. The same is true for diseases such as dyslexia, where technology provides support for assessing cognitive impairment.
Remote operations
Time and precision predominate in the operating room, which is why touch-free technologies, such as gesture recognition or eye tracking, are already used to consult information on a computer in any non-invasive intervention. This is the case, for example, of operations with orthopedic implants or cardiovascular devices. It will be possible to manage the information and real-time analysis of what is seen during an operation. Thus, doctors could use a history of information to make decisions on the fly, using references to previous similar operations.
Also, even more spectacular, teams of medical specialists can guide others to hospitals thousands of miles away during operations, thanks to artificial intelligence solutions. For example, we can find the one performed by Dr. Antonio de Lacy during the Mobile World Congress 2019 and which became the first remote surgery due to 5G technology.
Assisted communication technology for patients with disabilities
One of the first developments of this technology focused on improving the quality of life of people with varying degrees of disability. Known as assisted communication technology, it allows the patient to communicate with his free and autonomous environment, thus giving him freedom and independence. For example, patients with severe neuromotor disorders, severe impairment of both upper limbs and inability to communicate orally or in writing, mainly patients with ALS, basilar artery thrombosis, infantile cerebral palsy, head trauma and pontine myelinolysis. In the Official State Gazette of April 27, 2019, it was announced the expansion of the service portfolio of the National Health System, where the total grant for eye readers was announced starting January 2020. Specifically, the first to launch it former Generalitat Valenciana, which awarded the first tender for the supply of ocular devices to Irisbond, because it was the pioneering company in assistive technologies with the first 100% Spanish software for the production and development of eye tracking. This system includes the eye reader, computer software, patient and / or caregiver training and care, and all installation and after-sales services. Eye readers allow the patient to control any device with their eyes. Combined with accessible programs for communication, the patient can express himself autonomously with his environment, because, among other features, he can speak through virtual keyboards and synthesized voice, can surf the Internet, use social networks or even learn to read and write. . Due to this, the quality of life and self-esteem of the person improves significantly.
Improving and efficiency of doctor-patient communication
The pandemic highlighted the importance of technology to prevent contagion and accelerated its widespread application. In fact, a global WHO survey showed that in the first months of the pandemic – between March and June 2020 – 90% of countries suffered disruptions to their essential health services. Specifically, emergency services were discontinued in almost a quarter, the treatment of mental health disorders by 61%, and the diagnosis and treatment of cancer in 55%, with its devastating consequences. Touch-free technologies allow, among other things, the toilets to operate remotely, thus establishing the relevant distance measures and also avoiding unnecessary movements.
The use of video conferencing for medical consultations has become more widespread, which, among other things, has decongested the health system in the first instance. Pilot programs are also implemented to develop physician-patient communication solutions in situations where verbal communication is not possible, such as in intensive care and with intubated patients.
Avoid touching surfaces to minimize contamination
Undoubtedly, hospitals are critical areas for the contamination of any disease. And, given the widespread use of technology in hospitals, interaction in these spaces through contactless technology can be useful in reducing opportunities for contamination.
In the United States, healthcare associated infections (HAIs) cause 99,000 attributable deaths and cost $ 6.5 trillion a year. In Europe, these represent an additional 16 million days of hospitalization, 37,000 attributable deaths and € 7 billion per year (5).
Today, “zero contact” technology makes it possible to avoid unnecessary interaction with many surfaces, thanks to eye tracking commands, voice or movement. Specifically, it’s now possible to interact with screens, facilitate access to information, call elevators at a glance, or turn on or off access.
(1) Data from Fenin (Spanish Federation of Health Technology Companies) for 2019
(2) Gesture and touch recognition sensor market by technology (touch-based and touch-free), product (sanitary, biometric equipment without touch), type (online, offline) Industry and geography – Global forecast to 2025
(3) Study conducted by Gartner
(4) Oyama, A., Takeda, S., Ito, Y. et al. New method for rapid assessment of cognitive impairments using high-performance eye tracking technology. Sci Rep 9, 12932 (2019).
(5) World Health Organization. Report on the burden of endemic infections associated with global healthcare. Geneva: WHO, 2011.
About Irisbond – It is a Basque technology company founded by engineer Eduardo Jáuregui in 2013. A pioneer in assistive technologies, Irisbond bases its solutions on years of research and development. Irisbond’s advanced software algorithms, based on artificial intelligence, capture eye movement and translate it into precise movements on a screen. Due to this, anyone can access all the information naturally, intuitively and without the use of hands; creating a new way of relating to our environment through eye tracking technologies. The technology has been developed for use in such diverse fields as mobile devices, automobiles, smart homes, robotics, science, healthcare and manufacturing.