How many stroopwafels does it take to hack a medical problem?
This past 17 and 18th of February I was in Utrecht to help organize the Avicenna Healthcare Hackathon, fueled by stroopwafels, Chocomel, and a healthy dose of excitement.
tl;dr - check the video at the end!
In 2013 I was introduced to healthcare hackathons at Brigham and Women’s Hospital through MIT Hacking Medicine (check out the video and see if you can spot me). The problem and solution we presented were, in all fairness, not mind-blowing, but I still loved the experience — perhaps the contagious energy of Andrea Ippolito helped. Many other hackathon experiences ensued, and I got the chance to be on the other side of the table, organizing hackathons around the world, from Boston (USA) to Quito (Ecuador) and Vienna (Austria).
While in Boston, Hosseen Sadeghi, a good friend and soon-to-be cardiothoracic surgeon, experienced a healthcare hackathon and was inspired to organize one in Utrecht through the Avicenna Program he had co-founded. Everything was set in motion and then, it finally happened!
The hackathon venue was state-of-the-art: participants had access to 3D-printing facilities, a fully equipped machine-shop, and technicians to support the projects. A panel of mentors was in and out during the weekend to help provide feedback in specific areas.
Teams worked on a wide-range of projects — from logistics of medical supplies to 3D-printed pharmaceuticals or automation of pathologist tasks.
Several of the teams were able to prototype or code a potential solution (see above). Helen Tsang and her team (Golden Drop) started with several broad ideas until they focused in on a more specific one — monitoring analytes in urine. With some of the legos available they built a toilet to set the stage, then went on to 3D-print the prototype of golden drop, an urine collector and analyzer. Xenia Shakurova worked with other team members (SmartScope) that flew in from the Czech Republic (!) for the hackathon. They had found that pathologists spend a considerable amount of time on laborious tasks that can be automated, such as cell counting on histology slides. The team built an AI-based smartphone app to count and aid the pathologist’s workflow, along with a 3D-printed support that connects a cellphone camera to a conventional optical microscope.
Michael Koek and his team (Printies), made a case for medication adherence in children. They used a prototype 3D-printer to enable the printing of pharmaceuticals. The focus was on patient experience—they had children and parents engage in a fun drawing activity and then printed the drawing in a candy-like formulation. Dashley Rouwendal told us the story behind his idea — elders often struggle with manipulating and using heavy utensils at home (such as a pan of hot oil in the case of Dashley’s grandmother). His team designed a robotic arm whose movement was controlled by the spatial movement of the elder’s phone, with the ultimate goal of aiding with daily tasks.
SmartScope won the first prize for its automated analysis and aid tool for pathologists. Several other teams won in-kind prizes that will guarantee further mentoring and development. I can’t wait to see what the teams build in the coming months, either using their current ideas, or on different topics. The takeaway from a hackathon is not just the projects teams build during that weekend but also the tools they learn, which can be useful in any venture they take on in the future.
All-in-all, the event was a success, and I assure you there were no stroopwafels nor Chocomel left!
Check out the hackathon video for a peek at what it was like!
Shout out to M Ventures for sponsoring the event and supporting my after-hour endeavors! If you participated in the hackathon let me know about your experience and the progress of your team!
