04/10/2019
Heiner had the opportunity to visit the most advanced MRI technology, based in Vancouver. The visit was made possible by Edward Jung, the co-founder and CEO of Xinova, a Katalysen partner and leading innovation company based in the neighbouring Seattle. Heiner was accompanied by his wife Begoña who is a full professor of medicine.
The company, AIM and its spin-off Prenuvo, have developed and are using the most advanced software to enhance existing MRI scanners. The aim is to detect many lifethreatening pathologies, such as cancer, very early.
Their custom software allows to produce a full body scan within one hour and without any injection of contrast liquids into the blood stream. What AIM and its founder Raj Attariwala have achieved is a real and needed advance in medical technology and it will revolutionise diagnoses and prevention. It could also reduce the cost of health care, by allowing to treat illnesses in an early stage or by preventing them altogether, given the detection of a certain risk factor.
Heiner was impressed by the technology, his wife by the quality of the imaging, resulting diagnostic clarity and the vast application of the technology. In the lengthy and honest discussion with the outstanding founder and inventor of the technology, Raj Attariwala, a rare combination of both a medical doctor and engineer, many subjects were covered. For example, prevention, health cost reduction by early detection, medical regulation, resistance by doctors to adapt new technologies. Raj was first interested in robotic surgery, but he understood early, that humans don’t want to be operated by a robot. Therefore, he pivoted his interests to the medical discipline that is most affine to technology, namely radiology.
As one can see, Heiner had also the opportunity to conduct a scan. And he was relieved to know, that the results were fine. Katalysen is in a good shape to continue to make things happen.
Projects like AIM and Prenuvo represent significant opportunities. For Katalysen it is crucial to be in contact with thought-leaders, in this case especially to create connections with other medical high-tech companies in our network and to develop business opportunities for Katalysen and its partners.