Mitigating the risk of developing a brain disorder by collecting and analysing data has been on the menu for Luxembourg-based healthtech Myelin-H. The use of AI has helped them develop a product that may one day be used by astronauts in space.
In 2019, Myelin-H was selected by NASA for a programme that supports innovative ventures and is now working with astronauts. While the company’s main focus is enhancing the treatment of brain disorders like multiple sclerosis, they’ve found an implication for their product in space. The idea is to monitor astronauts, help them enhance their cognitive abilities, and mitigate their risk of developing a brain disorder.
“The product has matured and progressed nicely. We have to unashamedly admit that we haven’t tested it in space yet, because it’s just such a long journey. We genuinely believe that there could be an opportunity to test this as early as 2026. We’re also considering a few programmes by the European Space Agency.”
Zied Tayeb, CEO and co-founder of Myelin-H.
NASA is planning on replacing the International Space Station in 2030 by crashing the current one into the ocean after having replaced it with a new one. The next focus for them will be deep space exploration, and it is no surprise they’ve looked at companies like Myelin-H, considering that human presence in orbit will be extended.
The likelihood of getting a brain disorder after being in space for more than six months is around 94%, estimates Tayeb. Being able to help look after people on such missions is an exciting prospect for Myelin-H.
However, the company’s primary focus remains here on Earth. The healthtech is on the cusp of starting a 24-month-long clinical trial to validate its hybrid brain-machine interface R-MMS. The monitoring tool will be tested by different clinical partners, including hospitals and clinical centres in the UK, US, Australia, and a local hospital in Luxembourg. Centred in Luxembourg, this trial has been funded by the Ministry of Economy and the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR).
Assisted interpretation with AI
Things move slowly in the healthtech sector, be it trials or developing technology for astronauts. But there is one thing that has sped up operations in multiple sectors, and it is no different here. The use of AI has allowed Myelin-H to dramatically improve the quality of its products related to its main focus: enhancing brain disease treatment. Essentially, the company gathers data via specialised video games and signal processing.
“AI plays an important role in the automation of the interpretation of results. It basically fuses the medical data and comes up with interpretations that will help physicians make much more informed decisions.”
Zied Tayeb, CEO and co-founder of Myelin-H.
Even if a doctor specialises in treating brain diseases, analysing all the patient’s data takes a long time. While replacing those medical professionals is out of the question, AI and machine learning can help process raw data and bring forward specific details relevant to the patient’s treatment. The potential of this high-speed processing and analysis is also very high.
For the Myelin-H founder, what’s extremely exciting is the prospect of AI making predictions. In the case of multiple sclerosis, patients experience different phases, such as relapsing or remitting, and there is a possibility of having unexpected seizures. If AI can predict those before they happen by looking at the data, this will allow physicians to make rapid medical interventions to stop them.
Before making the jump to what feels like medical treatment from the future, Myelin-H will have its eyes set on securing funding, a task that the founder admits is not easy for healthtechs. Not being able to show immediate results can put off some investors. Successful medical trials are a boost for health ventures’ image, but concrete use and implementation of Myelin-H’s products will be decisive not only in securing funding but in having an impact on human lives as well.
This article was first published in the Silicon Luxembourg magazine. Read the full digital version of the magazine on our website, here. You can also choose to receive a hard copy at the office or at home. Subscribe now.
