How it all began…

"The roots of Detectivio start with my teenage interest in technology combined with my medical education. I saw the huge potential of bringing computer science into medical care. When patients arrive at the emergency department, it is always urgent to assess the severity to prioritize and allocate resources. This initial assessment relies heavily on the measurement of vital signs. To improve the method for these measurements will not only save time and increase efficiency; it will also probably save lives", Stefan Malmberg explains.

"It was beginning 2010," Stefan continues. "I was working with trauma and triage in the emergency department, prioritizing and treating patients according to how urgent the need for care was. I knew the importance of rapid measurement of vital signs. Still, I saw that the devices and procedures were old-fashioned, analog, and cumbersome."

The five vital signs are pulse, respiratory rate, blood oxygen level, blood pressure, and body temperature. They are the primary metrics of human physiology, forming the basis for assessing health, determining the level of medical urgency, and predictive algorithms. "I wondered whether these common and crucial measurements on the human body could be made simpler and more efficient? Those thoughts eventually became the beginning of Detectivio, but we didn't know that then, of course."

In addition to Stefan's medical knowledge, his early interest in technology and computers would turn out to be of great benefit. "As a child, I was fascinated by electronic gadgets and computers. I wanted to understand how they operated and had to look inside. I wrote my first lines of code on a Commodore64 at the age of seven and liked trying to master various programming languages. My first employment was as a consultant repairing computer hardware, setting up networks, and solving software issues," Stefan remembers. Therefore, it's no surprise that Stefan focused on technology when imagining new methods of measuring vital signs. 

Around this time, inventions using infrared technology for contactless measurement of body temperature were emerging. "What if it is also possible to measure other vital signs using a similar approach? It sounded a bit like science fiction," Stefan laughs.

In the following years, Stefan researched potential solutions and had meetings with many institutions and people. "I wanted to find out whether my idea was relevant, so I created a simple cartoon. It presented a basic concept – a form of kiosk or terminal that would automatically measure the vital signs. I showed the cartoon to several colleagues and in this way received views and comments on how my idea could impact the workflow."

Stefan realized that if his idea is was to become a reality, more in-depth competence was needed. "I was looking for someone who mastered the AI technology and understood how the human body works. But this person was nowhere to be found. I asked all contacts that I had, and their contacts, but nowhere! And I really started to get frustrated. I thought it was a dead-end." During a meeting in the autumn of 2016, Stefan shared his frustration. He complained about how difficult it was to find the right competence. 

A few weeks later, a participant from this meeting called and announced that Stefan should meet someone. "I was intrigued, but at the same time skeptical. Imagine; I had nearly given up! Even assuming that this person had the right expertise, would it be someone I could cooperate with? A nice person? If there is one thing I have learned over the years, it is to collaborate with people who can contribute with their skills, but who also share my values and drive."

That was how Stefan came to meet Taha Khan, a computer science researcher focusing on using AI for measuring health parameters. The two met several times and talked, explored possibilities for Stefan's idea, and looked for facts. "We realized how well we complemented each other and enjoyed the collaboration. We bought some equipment and started testing. When we grew confident enough in our pulse and respiratory rate measurement, we agreed that we should make the technology available in a smart device for society. So, we started Detectivio in December 2017, and here we are. Isn't it great?"