World Diabetes Day is an opportunity to raise awareness in society about the impact of this disease and its complications, as well as to promote its research and the development of new solutions that improve the quality of life of diabetes. With this objective, ULMA enters the world of health with a pioneering solution based on artificial intelligence that makes it possible to generalize diabetic retinopathy screening and respond to the current problems of diabetics.
ULMA Medical Technologies is the result of a research and development process that has lasted more than ten years and has involved an investment of more than 5 million euros. The project was born with the conviction that technological innovation provides new, more effective solutions in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of many diseases that have a great impact on people and society.
Diabetes and diabetic retinopathy, a growing health problem
In the world, it is estimated that 1 in 10 adults currently live with diabetes, that is, more than 500 million people, and the figure is expected to increase to close to 800 million in 2045. Those affected in Spain currently exceed 5 million people.
1 in 3 people living with diabetes have some degree of diabetic retinopathy, and 1 in 10 will develop a form of the disease that threatens their vision.
ULMA Medical Technologies, together with health professionals, has developed a solution that makes it possible to generalize diabetic retinopathy screening and respond to the current problems of diabetics.
The solution provided by ULMA consists of health screening software based on Artificial Intelligence that, thanks to the algorithm created from hundreds of thousands of data obtained from fundus images, is capable of detecting diabetic retinopathy autonomously even in its most initial stages, offering an automatic, rapid and effective diagnosis that allows early treatment of the disease.
This ability to detect early is fundamental in order to prevent damage to vision. An 80% of cases of diabetic retinopathy can be avoided with early treatment. To get an idea of its importance, the number of people suffering from diabetes in Spain exceeds 5 million. It is estimated that 75% of type I diabetes and 50% of type II diabetes will develop diabetic retinopathy at some point.
A comprehensive and certified solution
The software developed by ULMA Medical Technologies is part of a complete solution that includes hardware and an interoperable ophthalmic data platform. To achieve this, we have had the collaboration of top-level actors in the sector, including medical professionals and public and private entities such as Osakidetza and the health systems of Asturias and Catalonia, as well as prestigious ophthalmologists from private clinics.
We have been able to bring together a group of prestigious professionals and institutions such as the Technological Center specialized in Artificial Intelligence VICOMTECH, the Novoa Santos Research Foundation, the Foundation for Biosanitary Research and Innovation of Asturias, and even the European Union that through its Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Framework Program, it has financially supported the ULMA Medical Technologies Project with 1.5 million euros. This support, granted only to a few innovation and technological development projects throughout the Union, recognizes ULMA’s approach as a valuable source of added value for all of Europe.
Josetxo de Frutos, CEO ULMA Medical Technologies
This year, ULMA Medical Technologies’ pioneering software has obtained the CE Marking certification for medical devices against Regulation 2017/745 (MDR), which endorses at the highest regulatory and technical level the Artificial Intelligence developed by ULMA for screening diabetic retinopathy. This certification allows ULMA to market its solution throughout the European Union and other parts of the world.
ULMA has already begun to market its solution to relevant national health entities such as the CUN, the Quirón Group, the Miranza Clinics, the Catalan Institute of Health and, recently, their first public tender. In addition, several pilot projects have been carried out with this comprehensive solution in national health systems. We believe that technological innovation can and should be used to improve people’s lives. Therefore, having launched this first project in the field of ophthalmology, we are already working on solutions for glaucoma and macular degeneration and developing solutions in other medical specialities such as dermatology and cardiology.
Josetxo de Frutos, CEO ULMA Medical Technologies
Presentation in Bilbao on November 17
ULMA’s solution for diabetic retinopathy will be officially presented on November 17 at an event that will feature the participation of leading figures in the health, scientific and political fields at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.