Another, similar clinical decisions support project, this time in the area of cardiopulmonary medicine, also aims to give clinicians prediction scores for at-risk patients -- in this case, for those who could suffer from acute lung injury, or ALI. The score is based on six data mining and knowledge-based algorithms, such as patient history and various parameters already available in the ICU, which can predict if a patient has developed ALI.
The condition develops when the thin lining of the lung breaks down. Since this limits the lung's ability to supply the body with oxygen, it can quickly progress into organ failure and even death.
The program, jointly developed with Mayo Clinic researchers, was installed at Mayo's METRIC Laboratory for testing. Nicolas Chbat, principal member research staff at Philips Research North America, said in the next month they will be receiving feedback to see what kind of work still needs to be done.
Chbat and his team hope these prediction scores will give clinicians a way to detect the condition early, ultimately helping to save more patients' lives. However, he cautioned that the technology only provides guidance to doctors. "We do clinical decision support, not clinical decisions," Chbat said.
Which ones will see the light of day?
Many of these projects have taken several years to progress from novel concept to physical systems that can be tested. What are their chances of success? Van Houten said he'd be "surprised" if fewer than three of the four products fail to get commercialized.
Employees at the Briarcliff Manor
campus enjoy great views.
But besides these products that are inching closer to the market finish line, Van Houten has been keeping his eye on some other technologies earlier in the development cycle.
Among the too-soon-to-be-shown diagnostic and treatment technologies, Van Houten mentioned ultrasound on a chip; a "smart catheter," tipped by a transducer, to give real-time feedback during cardiovascular procedures; and spectral CT, which, he said, would be "like color photography after black and white."
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