Medical chatbot instead of questionnaires
The “PROtobot” chatbot is designed to replace conventional patient questionnaires and provide precise information on symptoms and health behaviors. “With PROtobot, we are not only making the collection of survey data in the healthcare sector easier, but also foster its individualization. With the wider availability of survey data and a measurement of subjectively reported data, we lay the foundation for a stronger focus of medicine on patients. The fact that we use chatbots for this may sound very technical at first, but has enormous potential for making patient surveys more user-friendly,” explains Dr. med. Jan Henrik Terheyden (University Eye Hospital Bonn), who leads the project. Together with Prof. Dr. Rafet Sifa, Maren Pielka and Tobias Schneider from Bonn-Aachen International Center for Information Technology (b-it) and Fraunhofer Institute for Intelligent Analysis and Information Systems (IAIS) and colleagues from the University Eye Hospital Bonn, headed by Prof. Dr. Frank Holz, he develops the innovative software primarily for use in telemedical care. The software draws on both examination and survey data. So far, patient-reports have mostly been collected using predefined questionnaires known as Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs).
Recognizing genetic defects in infertility
Also being funded is a new diagnostic procedure for male genetic defects, that helps couples with an unfulfilled desire to have children. The “Ferti Panel” project led by Prof. Dr. Hubert Schorle (Institute of Pathology at the University Hospital Bonn) supplements the standard semen analysis (spermiogram) for infertile men with a genetic test. “We will establish a test procedure for genetic information - a so-called Next Generation Sequencing Custom Panel - with which we can specifically analyze gene sequences for defects in infertile men,” Prof. Schorle explains the procedure. After detecting genetic defects with possible effects on sperm function, the treatment strategy can be adapted accordingly at an early stage. Couples are spared unsuccessful attempts at fertilization and thus both psychological and financial burdens, which can sometimes be very high. Together with Dr. Gina E. Merges, Andjela Kovacevic and Gaby Beine (also all from the Institute of Pathology at the UKB), Prof. Schorle is therefore developing the innovative test as a service that will later be launched on the market for fertility clinics and couples.
Funding by the Transfer Center
“I am particularly pleased in this round that the funded projects are further developing innovative technologies of our time, in which solutions based on both AI and genetic analysis have enormous potential. Both projects have a high level of application relevance and will be able to help a great many people through commercialization,” says Sandra Speer, Head of enaCom.
The projects will be closely supported on their way to the market by the Transfer Center's start-up consulting team. The funding is offered by enaCom and financed by the ESC (Excellence Startup Center) individual project “U-Bo-Grow” at the University of Bonn. It is funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy (MWIKE) of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
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A new call for a protoype funding is currently open. Proposals can be submitted here by November 20th, 2024.