Amsterdam HealthTech firms Philips and Nico.Lab join forces to improve stroke care
Leading healthcare technology company Philips has partnered with Nico.Lab to integrate its AI-powered CT scan analysis that can speed up detection and location of stroke-causing blood clots, potentially improving patient outcomes.
Amsterdam HealthTech firms collaborate on stroke care
Leading HealthTech company Philips, headquartered in Amsterdam, has partnered with Nico.Lab to accelerate stroke diagnosis and treatment. Stroke is the leading cause of disability and the second leading cause of death worldwide. Cutting time from stroke onset to treatment is imperative in improving patient outcomes.
Nico.Lab – a spin-off from the Amsterdam University Medical Center – has developed the StrokeViewer platform in which AI technology analyses CT scan data to rapidly spot blood clots in the brain - the cause of strokes. Doctors can view results on a mobile app and the cloud-based platform allows fast image sharing among physicians at primary care centres and intervention centres where the patient receives treatment. Together with Philips’s recently improved image guided therapy system, Azurion, with 3D visualisations and a measurement tool, the new partnership strengthens the firm’s portfolio of stroke care solutions. Philips has an overarching commitment to improving outcomes for stroke patients by connecting information, technology and teams.
“By expanding our offerings in stroke care we are able to provide an integrated portfolio of intelligent solutions across the full stroke care pathway, giving clinicians the right information during every critical step,” Philips image-guided therapy chief business leader Bert van Meurs said in the announcement. With our integrated portfolio, and by using validated AI and cloud technologies, we can facilitate collaborative care to optimise the stroke care pathway from diagnosis to treatment.”
A hub for innovation and collaboration
The partnership is testament to Amsterdam’s collaborative life science & health ecosystem. There are more than 300 companies in the Amsterdam Area involved in a wide variety of health-improving initiatives, including HealthTech manufacturer Stryker, pharmaceutical brands Novartis and Sanofi, pioneers in e-health applications Castor EDC and AI innovators PacMed.
At the end of 2018, the ecosystem was given an extra boost when the European Medicines Agency (EMA) moved from London to Amsterdam.