IDx

IDx is a startup company based in Iowa City that has a great team trying to change the way we diagnose disease.  The basic idea is that with a simple retinal scan, computer algorithms can objectively determine whether a patient may have signs of diabetes, infection, or risk of cardiovascular disease.

Typically, a patient would go into an ophthalmologist’s office to get a retinal scan.  The Ophthalmologist would take a look at the image and determine if anything is wrong.  However, the experience of the physician and training may hinder the Ophthalmologist from making the correct call.  Computer algorithms provide an objective screening of these images and they can be quickly implemented.  


Voxello

During my graduate studies, I had a labmate who started a company. The idea behind this company was to provide a user interface for patients that were intubated at the ICU. With a series of clicks of a tongue, a patient would be able to interact with a screen and call for help from a nurse. As part of their FDA regulatory filing, an external firmware/software reviewer was needed.

I took part as an external reviewer to go through the firmware code and ensure that everything worked as intended/written. I made some recommendations on the code itself and for additional security to be added to the device.