Welcome to the Health Matters’ case studies series, where we will be speaking to the business leaders who have successfully used our programme to take their product or service to new heights in the health and care sectors.
In today’s blog, we catch up with Moises Barbara Ramos, CEO & Founder of Drill Surgeries. Founded in 2019, Drill Surgeries, develops medical devices implementing Augmented Reality and Artificial Intelligence treatments to reduce Radiation at Hospitals worldwide by over 50%.
How did your company find out about the Health Matters programme?
Having already been in touch with Andy Cairns previously I attended a few health tech events with Andy and the Health Matters programme opportunity came up which seemed like a great fit for us.
What challenges was your company facing prior to receiving support? What do you think the main barriers are for using emerging technology?
The main challenges we were facing were in relation to the acquisition of data and which type of data we were really after.
To present a stronger case study in this field, it is not enough to tell the story of a couple of dozens of surgeons about the problems they face during surgeries, you should also aim for factual data from Hospitals to support these claims logically. The support received is helping us obtain these numbers.
The main barrier for using emerging technologies at hospitals is that these technologies are too new and surgeons have already spent decades of study to master a series of techniques which you are now trying to make obsolete. That’s why it is so important to implement the emerging technologies in a format that doctors are already familiar with, which simplifies the learning curve. That’s the approach we made at Drill Surgeries Ltd.
What support did your company receive and how was it delivered?
We got in touch with Andy in 2019 to review an application we had done for the Innovate UK programme. Following his feedback, we wanted to create a better proof of concept so in 2020 we began conducting research on the impacts and benefits of Drill Surgeries to pull together a comprehensive proof of concept of the company.
Unfortunately, the pandemic stopped the research as priorities and resources shifted, however we are back on track now with continuing our research.
In addition to the research, we also want to raise awareness of Drill Surgeries.
What new activity was your company able to do as a result of the support?
Andy’s support is not only allowing us to focus on our proof of concept, but he has also made key introductions to potential interns and new talent. As a result of these introductions, we are expecting a new intern and a new starter in the next couple of months.
What impact did the support have?
With the support we’ve had so far we have been able to attract new talent to build on and expand our product offering. In addition, we are also able to more easily access the healthcare community and drive awareness of our product and business which can always be a difficult first step. We are also refining our value proposition based on the data we are receiving from the Innovation Agency.
What are your company’s plans for the future as a result of this support?
Thanks to the support we are expanding our network of contacts, getting our work in front of more doctors but more importantly receiving feedback on how given surgeries are performed as well as accessing data from hospitals to back the doctors’ experiences.
Our effort is also aimed at culminating on the publication of the first factual/data research of Intramedullary Nailing surgeries in over a decade.
Intramedullary Nailing is a common surgery at hospitals worldwide aimed at welding broken bones. After a diaphyseal fracture occurs at the humerus, tibia or femur, an intramedullary nail is inserted through the length of the bone and fixed with screws at the proximal and distal areas of the fractured bone, holding it in place and facilitating recovery.
The process to fix this nail in place is not effective enough, carries up to hour-long delays and an excess of X-rays, under these inconveniences for doctors, patients and hospitals we bring the solution to make Intramedullary Nailing surgeries safer and faster.
Is there anything else you’d like to add? Would you recommend the programme to other SMEs?
In the medical device industry, you would expect big corporations to do the R&D, cover patent costs and distribute the product since they already have the resources and reputation. When you are an SME, you need to not only focus your efforts on the product but also on the reputation and your knowledge on the industry since no one knows you (yet).
This publication we are working towards, will demonstrate our passion, respect and effort to improve how Intramedullary Nailing Surgeries are performed worldwide and hence, build the reputation a small fish like us needs in this ocean to create a meaningful change.
I would definitely encourage any SME to partake in this programme, a discussion with any of their people can open a new window to valuable opportunities you didn’t know you needed.
The Health Matters programme was part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund to support local businesses, with innovative solutions, to access the health and care markets.
By providing bespoke, one-on-one assistance, we help businesses hone their products and services. Through real-world validation we demonstrate their practical and commercial benefits.
