General details
EDIHs involved
Challenges
HERADO is a Greek start-up company with a disruptive offer for personal radiation protection. The company provides an innovative radiation detection device, a patented personal dosimeter. This device monitors the exposure to radiation instantly and continuously and notifies, in real-time, the person that is using the device, to take protective measures.
The dosimeters connect to a dedicated monitoring & reporting platform, through IoT. The platform is developed from a third-party, with no knowledge of the Health requirements concerning Privacy, Interoperability and Cybersecurity.
The challenge for the company was twofold. First, to check if the platform was complying with the standards of the Health IT software. Second, how to expand it for an expected scaling-up of users and an addition of future services.
smartHEALTH experts came to fulfil the expectations of the company. They reviewed the platform in a series of interviews with the company. Then, they provided a detailed report in which they listed what the platform should have and specific proposals for future developments.
The service from the EDIH is very important for the company. First, there was no one in the market, with such expertise, to provide such a service. Second, the proof of concept of the platform is a strong card for users and investors. Third, for the future expansion of the platform, specific guidelines were provided to the company for changing the software architecture.
Solutions
smartHEALTH experts from FORTH/CeHA have extensive experience in developing software solutions for the health sector. The challenges faced by HERADO perfectly matched their expertise and capabilities for assessing their IT platform.
The experts identified 3 main categories for consultation based on the specific needs of the company. These, included:
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Scalability, Portability and Performance
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Compatibility and Interoperability
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Security and Privacy.
The methodology behind the service provision included interviews in which the company representatives discussed topics in detail.
The experts provided a detailed report with the identified facts, potential risks, gaps and the standards needed to comply with. For the first challenge, it is concluded that the existing platform is currently fully operational, secure and effective.
For the second challenge, in order to host much more users and to add more services, a new platform, with different architecture should be developed. Specific proposals provided follow an open-architecture, open-systems, modular approach for allowing the hosting of any future requirement. Technical details were given, such as the object-oriented provision of services that the company would need to consider a multi-level approach. The experts suggested a 3-Tier approach, including: a front-end tier, a business logic tier and a data-tier. last point is the suggestion that the company should seek to be accredited under the ISO 27001, ISO 22301 and ISO 9001 standards.
The technical consultancy from smartHEALTH aligns and contributes to the client’s objectives. First, it proves the current approach to users and investors. Second, it gives the technical background to allow the company to introduce a new platform able to connect thousands of devices, securely, effectively and enabling the interconnection with other medical systems and services.
The cost of the service was covered by the European Commission and the Greek State.
Results and Benefits
The company had two objectives, first to have a proof of concept. Second, to learn what would be the technical requirements in the case of the enlargement of their platform regarding the number of users and the addition of more services.
The first objective was met. The company has a proof of concept that verifies the smooth and effective operation of the platform. This is a very convincing fact for the users of the company and the investors. For the second objective, the future development of the platform, the company received the needed technical consultation for dealing with it. A new version of the platform that will follow the proposed software architecture will be more stable, more functional concerning any needed addition or change and with better internal organisation. These advantages will create new value for the company since it would be easier to introduce new services, it will require less time and cost for development and will satisfy user experience.
An additional benefit for the company is that the recommendations from smartHEALTH will be used for the proposal of the company, regarding the EIC Accelerator programme. The company is able to effectively demonstrate the steps needed to redesign the platform and receive EU funding for this.
Last, another benefit for the company came out from the interaction with the experts. This, revealed new fields for creating new features that may be developed, as for example, using AI for creating better reports. The company is eager to use AI technology for providing better reports, with the ability to automatically notify for good or bad working practices, from the persons dealing with radiation sources.
The cost of the services provided to the company from the EDIH was equal to 14,100 EUR. Half of this amount was covered by the European Commission, while the other half was covered by the Greek State as a de minimis aid. The company received the services for free, no extra cost was added. The benefit for the company is not only the saving of the mentioned amount but also the difficulty finding these services anywhere else on the market.
Perceived social/economic impact
The scaling-up of the company is expected to offer great social benefit. There are millions of professionals globally that need a reliable radiation dosimeter for detecting and monitoring their exposure to harmful radiation. These persons are mainly working in the health sector (hospitals, diagnostic centres) but also in other sectors (Space, Energy, Security, such as in nuclear energy production, for monitoring threats of accidents or terrorism, in military premises, etc.).
Today, the monitoring of radiation for those people is left to passive dosimeters that cannot provide instant and reliable information, nor direct notifications for dangerous incidents. The offered solution has tremendous benefits over any other dosimeter used: it can measure all types of radiation simultaneously; it provides instant & reliable measurements continuously; and it is sensitive enough to catch even the slightest amount of radioactivity. The IoT connectivity between the dosimeter and the IT platform allows continuous monitoring also for the facility owner or even to the external authorised Health & Security bodies. The required reports to these bodies are easy to produce from the platform.
A serious social impact is that the offered system protects women in the health sector effectively, especially pregnant women. There is no need to leave their job or to be under a constant state of fear since they can effectively protect themselves, thanks to the continuous and direct notification of the dosimeter that monitors their health.
Also worth mentioning is the fact that HERADO is the only European SME that designs, produces and sells stand-alone, new generation, certified, active radiation dosimeters of such capabilities, combined with an on-line IT platform. The economic success of the company is therefore contributing directly to the European economy.
Measurable data
In Health sector there are strict requirements concerning Privacy, Interoperability and Cybersecurity. For this case, the experts of smartHEALTH identified 3 main categories for assessing the IT platform of the company:
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Scalability, Portability and Performance: 9 parameters examined, of those 7 were successful and 2 require changes in the future, for the development of the platform.
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Compatibility and Interoperability: 10 parameters examined, of those 9 were successful and 1 requires changes in the future.
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Security and Privacy: 24 parameters examined, all of them were successful.
DMA score and results - Stage 0
The DMA questionnaire was completed twice. First, when the services started, in June 2023. Then, after the completion of the services, in November 2023. The company saw an increase of 2% in the performance recorded. The increase derived mainly by the interest of the company to experiment with the use of AI, for providing advanced reporting features, thanks to the discussions with the experts of the EDIH.
DMA score and results – Stage 1
Not yet performed.
Lessons learned
The major lesson learned, from the EDIH perspective, is that many companies that would like to enter the Health IT sector do not have extensive knowledge and reliable collaboration sources for the specific industry standards and requirements. This is a knowledge gap which smartHEALTH, and other health-related EDIHs, could bridge. In fact, it is imperative that companies, not previously working in the specific sector, to receive proper guidance to enter it and introduce new services, thus increasing their competitiveness, development, and growth.
From the client perspective, a lesson learned is that SMEs need external expertise for a number of key issues that go beyond their knowledge and reach. It would be very hard for the specific client to find such expertise and services, anywhere else on the market.
The Benefits of the collaboration
We have regular collaboration with the Enterprise Europe Network. Clients from both our EDIH and the Enterprise Europe Network are introduced to each other. EDIH and Enterprise Europe Network are absolutely complementary in providing useful services to SMEs.
Lessons learned – do’s and don’ts of the collaboration
The Enterprise Europe Network is a well established network, since 2008. It has great outreach to local SMEs. The collaboration with any EDIH is only beneficial for SMEs and the networks involved.
Other Information
HERADO started from the Space sector, providing dosimeters to various Space agencies including NASA, DLR and other major Space actors. Dosimeters of the company have been used onboard the unmanned “Artemis-1” mission of NASA. They are approved for use also onboard the “Artemis-2” mission that will bring the first woman on the moon.
The company is active in many more sectors, including Defence and Safety. The main market for the company is in the health sector with almost 7 million people globally that are exposed to radiation sources.
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