During our Arkathon Bootcamp, an Ai-Based diagnostic solution to predict acute kidney injury stood out and caught the attention of our experts. U-Care Medical is an Italian–based start-up, which includes a multi-disciplinary team of young researchers from Politecnico di Torino, all with an engineering background. It also relies on qualified professors and nephrologists.
U-Care Medical, the solution against kidney injuries
U-Care Medical designed a system to enable an early prediction of acute kidney injury focusing on monitoring the patient vital sign data over several hours. Data are automatically and continuously collected by the system and are processed in real-time using the power of an artificial intelligence algorithm, which are then used to estimate the probability of an AKI event occurring in the following hours. The first prediction is possible 12 hours after patient entry into the ICU and every subsequent hour a new prediction is calculated based on the preceding 12 hours of urine output. This solution is thought to support the clinician’s work in improving quality and saving patients’ lives.
U-care Medical in Valais
The U-Care Medical team, who was awarded at the 6th edition of the Arkathon Program, recently came to discover the richness of the Valais health ecosystem and its innovation pole: the S.M.A.R.T. Confluence. On this occasion, the Italian team was able to meet and exchange with the heads of nephrology and intensive care units of the Valais Hospital, as well as the experts in innovation and medical regulatory affairs. They were also able to visit the ICU Unit and see the reality of the field to adjust their solution according to the feedback they received.
A pilot multi-centric observational study is currently being discussed and planned with the Valais hospital, alongside main hospitals in Italy, to validate prospectively the accuracy of the algorithms developed in predicting the onset of AKI episodes.
To date, 10 prototypes of U-Care Medical are being tested in some health institutions in Turin, Rome, Florence, Aosta, Novara, Perugia, Reggio Calabria and Sion, and the team has already filed the international patent application.
We will closely monitor the future of this ambitious and valuable project for the health care system and the treatment of patients.