"I see problems as an incentive, not an obstacle"

Hanspeter Hess, what impact does your project aim to have?
Shoulder injuries can be treated in several ways: depending on the severity, the main options are physical therapy, repair surgery, or the use of a prosthesis. However, it is currently difficult to assess which patients will benefit from less invasive repair and in which cases it makes sense to implant a prosthesis.
With our project, we are revolutionizing the diagnosis and treatment planning of shoulder pathologies using artificial intelligence (AI). Our software automatically analyses MR* images to provide information about the extent of the injury. Using AI our software is able to calculate information not visible to the human eye such as the amount of fat in the muscle or the shape of bones prior to fracture. The calculated parameters indicate the probability of a minimally invasive repair surgery being successful and help surgeons to identify when a joint replacement procedure is required.

Where do you get your inspiration from?
I have always enjoyed solving technical problems, because I see them as an incentive for innovation, not as an obstacle. AI offers increasing opportunities to do this. Why have I decided to invest my energy in this project? In addition to the technical feasibility and the openness of the treating physicians, the timing is economically favorable: our solution would be the first market offering for shoulder analysis to include critical analysis of the soft tissues including muscles, tendons and tear sites.
I work in a highly interdisciplinary field, which prevents me from falling into a mere “engineering vortex.” Constant communication with medical professionals is important for gaining a thorough understanding of their needs. This new perspective enables me to develop optimal solutions.
I value a healthy balance between concentrated office work and time off in nature. When tinkering with the same problem for a long time causes me to lose the necessary perspective, taking time out for sports helps me find inspiration for new approaches.

Where does your innovation currently stand?
Our goal is to obtain FDA approval for the software and bring our first product to market. We have just made the software available online to our research partners. They will use it to evaluate MR images and apply the results to their research. This will also provide us with feedback on user-friendliness. At the same time, a retrospective multicenter study is being conducted involving 1,000 patients who have already undergone surgery and whose status two to three years later is known. This allows us to verify whether our algorithm accurately predicts who will benefit from the repair surgery. By the end of the Venture Fellowship, we want to be working under a verified quality management system. This will pave the way for the safe clinical use of our software in the near future.

How does the UniBE Venture Fellowship help you achieve your goal?
When coming from a science background and staying part of the research team, the fellowship helps you to become more independent. It allows you to detach yourself somewhat from purely scientific work and gives you autonomy. The coaching is also very helpful, as it has no vested interest in the project and can therefore provide more objective advice on company strategies.
Although it is evident that entrepreneurs face many new tasks and responsibilities, I still tend to focus on the technical tasks. The coaching helps me to develop strategies to avoid this. Overall, the Venture Fellowship has helped our project to focus more on the economic success of the company.

Any recent learning on your way you wish to share?
During my PhD, I learned that my work requires my full commitment, but that its success also depends on external factors that I have little control over. I therefore strive to remain calm and to share responsibility. At Aikeso, we are six founders with complementary backgrounds – one with business expertise, three engineers, and two with medical backgrounds. Having such a diverse team around me is both relieving and inspiring.