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Sensor technology and AI improve accuracy in emergency care

PERIsign: New Medtech solution that improves the accuracy of emergency care with sensor technology and AI

When technical innovation and Medtech work together, care can reach new heights. An example of this is PERIsign, an innovative diagnostic tool that, using sensor technology and advanced software development, can quickly and efficiently help doctors determine whether a patient with stomach pain needs emergency care.

We have spoken with Andreas Jonsson, the founder behind PERIsign, and Håkan Rolin, business manager at Together Tech, about the product's potential, the development journey and the challenges in today's medical technology.

Technology and collaboration – the key to PERIsign's success

PERIsign is designed to help doctors around the world to more quickly and accurately assess whether a patient with abdominal pain is in need of emergency care. The product detects small electrical variations in the muscle layers of the abdominal wall and can indicate whether the patient has an involuntary muscle defense. It is an important clue in the diagnosis of peritonitis, a potentially life-threatening condition. Andreas Jonsson describes PERIsign as an "ECG for the stomach," where the tool enables health care professionals to objectively quickly determine whether the stomach pains are serious.

- PERIsign means a big step forward for emergency care. With objective measurement values, healthcare professionals can make an initial assessment even without a doctor present. It reduces patients' anxiety and increases efficiency in emergency departments, says Andreas Jonsson, surgeon and the founder behind PERIsign.

From idea to clinical prototype – the development journey for PERIsign

After searching for the right development partner for the project, the choice fell on Together Tech, a technical consulting company with broad experience in medical device development and a strong commitment to each customer and project. Håkan Rolin is business manager and responsible for the collaboration with PERIsign at Together Tech, says:

- The assignment was to develop a prototype for a first clinical study. The customer had a clear idea that we could help realize. We have documented competence in close-to-body measurement, an important and growing area. Our strength is that we can quickly come up with concrete solutions and help each customer move forward, says Rolin.

Creating a prototype that could be evaluated in a clinical study was Together Tech's first goal, but Håkan already sees the next step ahead. Now it's about productization where i.a. design and development of user-friendly interfaces will play a central role.

Together Tech's assignment:

Electronics development for EMG measurement
Embedded software
Desktop software with GUI
Mechanics construction
Risk analysis
Documentation
Verification

Advanced sensor technology in emergency situations

The first clinical study has recently been completed, and the results show that PERIsign is working as expected. The study has confirmed that the tool can effectively distinguish between healthy and sick patients, which strengthens the product's potential to quickly and safely assess whether a patient needs emergency care.

- Now that we have clear clinical data that PERIsign can contribute to saving lives and better management of healthcare resources, we are ready to proceed with the next step and involve more investors, says Andreas Jonsson.

The development partner Together Tech: Technology and experience in collaboration

One of the fastest growing trends in medical technology is the integration of advanced sensors and AI-based software. Sensors make it possible to measure and analyze biological data in real time, which is exactly what PERIsign is doing in its work to detect peritonitis.

PERIsign's sensor detects small electrical changes in the abdominal wall and the data is processed by software to guide the diagnosis in a standardized way. Håkan Rolin further explains how Together Tech's expertise in software development, sensor technology and data collection was decisive for PERIsign's design:

- The solution we have developed aims to collect data for evaluation using, for example, AI. For PERIsign, they also collaborate with Halmstad University to create algorithms for evaluating measurement data. It is very inspiring with collaborations where entrepreneurs in healthcare, students and us from the consulting world meet.

PERIsign's path to the market

Medtech is one of the most regulated industries globally, and for a product like PERIsign, classified as a Class IIb product, this means extensive documentation and validation requirements. Håkan Rolin emphasizes that the regulatory landscape can be a challenge, but that Together Tech's experience has enabled a pragmatic way forward.

- In working with regulatory matters, it is easy to overinterpret and complicate things unnecessarily, with the consequence that you never finish. It takes both competence and experience to make practical decisions and maintain forward momentum in the projects, explains Rolin.

Further development and new opportunities

Andreas Jonsson (on the left in the picture) emphasizes that PERIsign can become an important asset for healthcare, both because it is fast and efficient and because it facilitates the decision-making process for doctors in stressful emergency situations. Håkan Rolin (on the right in the picture) is also enthusiastic about the product's potential and describes it as a simple but brilliant idea.

- This is a very exciting product idea that can make a big difference in healthcare and for patients. It is, like many good product ideas, simple and obvious once someone has thought of it. It's innovativeness and entrepreneurship in a fantastic combination, says Rolin.

With the first clinical study completed and promising results, PERIsign now has the potential to seriously change emergency care.

- The collaboration with Together Tech has been decisive in getting this far in a relatively short time, and I look forward to taking the next step together with healthcare professionals, technology developers and investors, concludes Andreas Jonsson.