Innovation Adoption Curve

Hello everyone,

I am delighted to share the second edition of my monthly newsletter, fueled by the warmth and engagement of your response to our first issue.

In this edition, I navigate the complexities of brain implant advancements, reveal industry-changing news from Neuralink and Mayo Clinic, and explore poignant issues in FemTech. I introduce you to the intriguing “e-skin” in IoT, potentially redefining our relationship with technology, and share exciting updates from Untitled Kingdom .

Remembering Benjamin Franklin’s wisdom, “Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning”, let’s continue our journey of discovery and improvement together.

Stay curious and stay informed.

Peter

Have you ever heard of Roger's Innovation Adoption Curve?

Now, you can read more about it here , or actually study it below:

It is a model that classifies adopters of innovations into various categories, based on the idea that certain individuals are more open to innovation than others. It was popularized by American communication theorist and sociologist Everett Rogers in his book Diffusion of Innovations, first published in... 1962!

You may find it a good point of reference (as I did) when studying the MedTech news from the past month. Where on the Adoption Curve would you put the researchers, patients, and users featured in the stories below?

Table of contents:

• In MedTech inventions - 2 compelling (and, to an extent, contradictory) stories on brain implant advancements.
• In MedTech industry - Neuralink's and Mayo Clinic's big news.
• In FemTech - report on medical gaslighitng + 7 women sharing insights and tips from their experiences in the VC world.
• In IoT - (my pick for news of the month) “e-skin” (finally?) reconstructs a sense of touch.
• In Untitled Kingdom - meet the Medical Director who will be supporting and guiding teams working on medical projects - to provide the best value for companies collaborating with Untitled Kingdom .

???MedTech news:

It's 2 pieces of news on brain implants.

Building "digital bridges" between brain and spinal cord

• For more than a decade, Gert-Jan Oskam has been paralyzed from the waist down. But last month, more than a year after an experimental brain implant was inserted, he showed signs of neurological recovery, walking with crutches... even when the implant was switched off.
• The technology behind this solution is fascinating (scientists described these implants as building a “digital bridge” between his brain and his spinal cord - bypassing injured sections and enabling him to walk). But what is more, scientists used an AI thought decoder to match patient's thoughts to muscle movements.

But even if successful, a brain implant story can easily get awry...

Neuro rights: how human-machine symbiosis raises new human rights issues

• The story focuses on Rita Leggett, who, after 2 years of using an experimental brain implant, was made to remove it when the company that created the device had gone bust.?
• It would be challenging for any medical professional to breach the clinical study protocol. Every clinical trial must be insured and supervised by both Data Safety Monitoring Board & Ethics Committee. So while similar cases like this (unfortunately) apply to patients on most of novel life-supporting devices, neuro rights are a new field.

The best "take" on this I heard was from Marcin Maruszewski who simply posed 3 questions: If the technology was so promising, why has no one purchased the company? Should governments or WHO be allowed to “buy out” patented/proprietary solutions of breakthrough companies? What will be the impact of the "neuro rights" initiative?

???MedTech Industry news:

One more piece on brain implants (the last, I promise!) & (of course) another proof that AI in healthcare is definitely in the early majority stage.

Elon Musk’s Neuralink about to launch its first-in-human clinical study

I will only share quotes from the piece above

• Neuralink employees told Reuters last year that the company was rushing and botching surgeries on monkeys, pigs and sheep, resulting in more animal deaths than necessary, as Musk pressured staff to receive FDA approval. The animal experiments produced data intended to support the company's application for human trials.
• Neuralink had hoped to receive approval to implant its device in 10 patients.
• The FDA had pointed out several safety concerns to Neuralink that needed to be addressed before sanctioning human trials. Some of the issues involved the lithium battery of the device, the possibility of the implant's wires migrating within the brain, and the challenge of safely extracting the device without damaging brain tissue.

Mayo Clinic is using a new service — Enterprise Search on Generative AI App Builder — allowing to employ Google's technology to create chatbots

• Mayo Clinic 's reputation as a global leader and benchmark in the healthcare industry is well-known. They have consistently been at the forefront of adopting and implementing the latest technologies, setting standards that other institutions and professionals follow. This collaboration is significant because by leveraging the expertise of Mayo Clinic and the technological capabilities of 谷歌 , this solution can be tailored to meet the evolving needs of healthcare professionals based on their experiences with patients. In my discussions with companies collaborating with Untitled Kingdom , I have repeatedly heard about the challenges of convincing the medical community to embrace and implement modern technological solutions. The list of reasons is long and valid: legal considerations, local regulations, the apprehension to step out of their comfort zones. And it's collaborations like these that provide an opportunity to bridge this gap by combining the expertise of medical professionals with the power of technology, ultimately benefiting both patients and healthcare providers.

♀??FemTech news:

72% of millennial females felt gaslighted by a medical professional (The State of Medical Gaslighting report)

Gaslighting: when someone in a position of power invalidates your thoughts, feelings, or emotions by making you question your reasoning and mental sanity.?

To shed even more light on the topic of medical gaslighting, FemTech company Mira analyzed and compiled data from different research studies, including a 2023 survey of 2,000 participants (US, 1120 Female and 880 Male, 18+).

Key findings:

• 65% of American women and 60% of men felt their doctor dismissed, ignored or minimized the severity of their medical concerns.
• Top-5 states where Americans (both men & women) feel medically gaslighted: Arkansas, Idaho, Minnesota, Rhode Island, and Alabama.
• More than a third (35%) of female participants reported that their experience of medical gaslighting was worsened by their gender, which is twice higher than male patients (16%).

7 Women speak up about their experiences in the VC club

Beyond sharing great insights (and frustrating stories), here are their tips on how to break it into the VC world:

• Try to establish relationships with VCs early in your career. Gain exposure to the field.
• Seek out mentors and networks that can provide support and advice.
• Have a clear point of view on the types of technologies and industries that you would like to invest in.
• Gain experience working in a startup. This will help build a track record of success and make VCs more willing to invest.

???IoT news:

Stretchable “e-skin” (finally?) reconstructs a sense of touch

• The future of wearable sensors in MedTech (and remote patient monitoring) is incredibly promising. Just imagine the integration of e-skin with wearable sensors enables the collection of a vast array of data points, offering a comprehensive view of an individual's health status.
• This technology has the potential to enhance the quality of life for individuals and revolutionize the healthcare landscape as we know it. I can't wait for it to be widely implemented.

???Untitled Kingdom news:

Medical Director in his first interview about the role

In this lengthy chat Marcin Maruszewski talks about?

• highlights of his over 20-year medical career
• the role of the Medical Director and his new responsibilities.
• his vision of an ideal healthcare model of the future.

Until the last week of July!

Before signing off, I’d love to extend an invitation to you all. If you’ve found value in this newsletter, please consider sharing it with friends and colleagues who might also benefit. Your feedback is our compass for improvement - please don’t hesitate to leave a comment if there’s anything we can do better.

Lastly, if you have a MedTech project on your mind that you’d like to discuss, I’d be more than happy to connect and explore possibilities.

Thank you once again for joining us on this journey. Until next month, stay curious, stay informed, and stay connected.

Peter?