Former Science-student Bram created a medtech company for AI-innovations

Quality of Life

'Vulnerable elderly sometimes receive intense medication, which limits their quality of life. If this treatment doesn't result in significant life extension or improved quality of life, we call this overtreatment,' notes Bram. 'At the same time, there's a large group of elderly who are still very fit but who, based on age as specified in medical protocols, don't qualify for certain treatments, such as stem cell transplantation.'

Science Studies

Bram studied Science at Radboud University from 2004 to 2010. Science is a programme where students combine different exact sciences. 'In high school, I had broad interests. I enjoyed mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology, but also philosophy and economics. The idea emerged that it would be great to be able to look across disciplines, that's how I ended up at Science in Nijmegen. There you get quite some freedom to choose your own study path.'

Brain and AI

For Bram, this meant specializing in Biophysics, where he delved into neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence (AI). 'I always found brains interesting, and with AI, you can essentially recreate brains,' he says with a smile. In his graduation internship, Bram investigated whether brain-computer interfaces could be developed using AI and EEG (electroencephalogram) data. EEGs measure electrical activities in the brain, and with brain-computer interfaces, you can control a computer by thinking. Bram wanted to put this knowledge into practice.

Tech Company Orikami 

He firmly believes in the idea that medical and other data can be better utilized. 'The ultimate way to prove that is to become an entrepreneur.' Bram founded tech company Orikami in 2011, focusing on data analysis in a broad sense. 'That was before the big data and AI hype that exists now. The steps taken with AI in recent years are gigantic.' Digital devices provide lots of data containing patterns that can be analyzed with AI. In its early years, Orikami did this for various parties, from the Ministry of Education to ship engine builders.

Applications in Healthcare

The company also works for healthcare institutions, where Bram sees the great value of applying AI technology. 'It's a difficult market, but about nine years ago, we made the decision: we focused entirely on healthcare and managed to get our first own product to market.'

Personal Control with MS

As a medtech company, Orikami initially focused on patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). This is a chronic condition in the brain and spinal cord, where inflammation occurs in various places. Patients have very diverse symptoms but are almost all very fatigued.

'With MS, you're dealing with a data problem. Patients have ups and downs and only see their neurologist a few times a year, creating a discrepancy between what the patient experiences and what the neurologist sees and knows,' explains Bram. 'By letting patients collect their own data, the neurologist gains more insight into how the patient is doing and the course of disease treatment. The neurologist can, for example, switch medication earlier. By letting patients collect their own data, they also gain much more control over their illness and their life.'

Further Developing Digital Biomarkers

The app, which allows MS patients to monitor their health via smartphone, has now been certified based on medical studies and established in the independent company Sherpa. The lessons learned from developing and launching such a 'digital biomarker' are now offered by Orikami as a service to other parties, such as MedTech companies, Academic hospitals, or Pharma.

Making Better Decisions

These digital biomarkers are often algorithms for Orikami that extract information from data and may be used in clinical decisions. This allows healthcare providers to make better decisions. 'Our biomarkers help in diagnosing and monitoring patients,' explains Bram. The complexity of 'digital biomarker' products lies in both technical innovation and certainly in the regulations that must be met to use the product in practice.

Clinical Applications

Orikami helps various organizations to personalize treatments. Besides MS, the company is very active in developing a product for cancer treatment in the elderly, but also for mental healthcare. Bram: 'EEGs register brain signals. Based on that data, our client has developed algorithms that provide advice on medications for depression and ADHD.'

Goal on the Horizon

Being able to connect the technological knowledge gained during his studies with medical practice gives the Nijmegen entrepreneur satisfaction. However, he derives the most satisfaction from knowing that his company's products have a positive impact on people's lives.

Bram works hard to develop his ideas together with academic medical centers, so innovations can be implemented more quickly. His goal on the horizon: 'That every patient is treated based on their own data instead of according to protocols.'

This article was previously published by platform TechGelderland.