Building image-based precision medicine tools for better research
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Saul Marquez:
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Saul Marquez:
Welcome back to the podcast. Today I have the outstanding Fabien Beckers. He’s the Co-founder and CEO Arterys. A cloud deep learning startup that’s disrupting the Medical Imaging space and building image based precision medicine tools. Fabien has led the growth of the company from four co-founders to a team of 34 today. Under his leadership, the company has become a pioneer in cloud-based medical imaging software, offering the first FDA cleared end to end cloud infrastructure for medical imaging. The key advantages of the platform being automatic aggregation of real world data and ability to scale and distribute the processing of an increasingly large complex datasets. Fabien’s vision for the company is to accelerate data driven medicine by building precision medicine tools based on the consistent quantification of medical image features in combination with molecular genomics and patient history data. Shortly put is looking to make sure disease states are address through the continuum of care. Fabien holds a P.hD. in quantum physics from the University of Cambridge and a master’s from the Stanford University. So it’s a true pleasure Fabien to have you here on the podcast today. Welcome.
Fabien Beckers :
Hi. So nice to meet you. May I manage a small precision on your intro just to ensure everything is accurate?
Saul Marquez:
Yes absolutely.
Fabien Beckers :
Yes. So we are a hundred employees now. That’s what the company has grown even further in the last few years. We tripled the size last year.
Saul Marquez:
Amazing. Yeah.
Fabien Beckers :
And then when I pitched a small funds physics for a lot of companies for short just make sure people felt accurate but I didn’t get to your question and I’m very happy to be here.
Saul Marquez:
Now Fabien thank you so much. One hundred and a big difference. And again a testament to the continued growth that you guys continue to experience and and thanks for the clarifications there. So really excited to dive into this exciting topic of using deep learning the cloud and information and data to make more informed decisions. In particular with imaging so I love to hear from you. Really to begin with what is it that got you into healthcare?
Fabien Beckers :
Yeah I… my background is I’m usually a little came from France and so of course at some point I was driven by the desire to make an impact and I realized it was hard to do some time. I mean United States is really well known for building and creating global companies and had that level of impact. I came to the U.S. to learn how to do that and a little of what would be the best next project I would take on. And I realized how healthcare was in some forms of optimal and need to be improved and could have such a massive impact on patient lives. So that’s what me attracted to it.
Saul Marquez:
Love it. Fabian that’s for sure. Well welcome to the state side. I know you’ve been here for a while but we’re always… I think that’s the thing that makes makes it unique here right. I mean we’ve got open arms for anybody looking to make it better and you definitely are. So definitely glad that you decided to make that move. What would you say Fabien is a hot topic that needs to be on every health leaders agenda today. And how are you and your team tackling that?
Fabien Beckers :
Yeah I think one of the pieces I think this is really really important change not on the level of one hospital at a time but more like systemically is the fact of enabling physician and the whole continuum of care to make decisions based on data being did driven medicine to healthcare today. I mean everyone around the world when you want to go from point A to Point B and you don’t know how to do it you will use your phone and you have roadmaps, waze or several like that and they will have ton of data to inform your your guidance between those two data points and in health care is no case. And I think I think it’s more important to do that for human lives and patient care than to guide you around. And so I really feel that one of the big revolution is to be able to achieve that and give all the information to the physicians that can make the best of all possible based on all the data that is out there. That’s number one. Number two I think what is pretty counterintuitive is the fact that healthcare is at the core of very much a peer to peer industry is a place where everyone works together. But today the way it’s been implemented it seems very siloed. And so I think breaking those silos so that information can flow easily and people in shared cases can interact together can really have no boundaries and how information flows while of course respecting data privacy and regional privacy rules, I think is a very important piece. And so we’re trying to tackle those too.
Saul Marquez:
I think it’s brilliant. And and so definitely two major pain points for a lot of providers today. I would love to hear a little bit more Fabien about how you and your team have created results by doing things and thinking differently.
Fabien Beckers :
Yeah I think that it’s a different approach that we took when we started the company six, seven years ago where was not just think about “hey what kind of software should we bring to solve a or b” but have a systemic approach of what is in storefrastructure for today was a problem in infrastructure and how could we I mean we didn’t feel shy of let’s build the right infrastructure right OS that we see in healthcare need. And so I think we took that different approach. And even though he was I think pretty crazy at the time you felt the right thing to do and so we really took on we realize that everything in healthcare today is really local on prem in what we describe our offer as being your kind of the pre premium to next state. And we felt it was really important to be able to transform that and create what we felt should be the 2019 the two thousand twenty first century infrastructure that should be web based. And to call that work addressing the key hurdle that a hospital health system needed which is of course regulatory data privacy ease of use workflow integration all of those to really make sure that we can really move to that to that system and that’s what’s happening now.
Saul Marquez:
Love it. Yeah. You know the local on premises feel definitely a good call out Fabien and probably the biggest reason that a lot of these silos exist. It would be fine if we could dive into some of the things that you guys are doing maybe talk to us about one of the indications you guys cover and what types of results you guys are seeing early on.
Fabien Beckers :
Yeah. So we tackle… we fell so the way we approach building innovation in healthcare was to try to solve the real pain point first and build from there and not try to build to boil the ocean because we felt we would not have a result and probably die financially as well in the meantime. So we approached that. So we started with the heart and actually more specifically we started with new or no forget tricks that have heart defects which is the number one birth defect is stronger. And we learned a lot of them are sometimes pretty diagnose. They’re one day old two days old baby and sometimes it’s blue. They have some issues where they’re hard and it’s very hard just a simple ACO to diagnose and know what’s going on to the heart, so many structural possibilities in how they’re being treated and they don’t have any reference point anymore. And so we felt it was really important problem. So even though it’s a very niche market very small amount of people and then also we heard at the same time the same thing happened sometimes nettlesome structural heart problem when your heart is sometimes short of an issue and it’s hard to know what’s going on. So we feel that is an important problem. We also realize a benefit of work on the chronic side of things although there is a very niche market and very small one study really tackled almost all the key elements having medical imaging. So it’s kind of a wonderful obligation because by doing this you almost do everything. And so we built that and we really stopped working for less for five years actually. Now it’s almost six years on really building that platform. They enable to use a complete web browser as a way to really the images. So the zero hardware on premise you send a data cloud of course or to log on to data privacy code piece that enables us to scout today just logging from anywhere you want to have the images presented and display in browser you can track with real speed because otherwise the experience would not be good enough for a physician. So it has been sold as well. And the idea of preparing a case and a piece of cardiac for example one of the workflow physician and radio this have to do is to quantify the left and right ventricle of the heart to assess how the heart is pumping out of the pumping capability the heart is and actually be taking a long time. Today, Emanuel and the previous day you could be Amazon and Sony here was shown for example that the term sometimes local solutions would take up 36 minutes per case which is a long time and then we could reduce that to six minutes for example. And so…
Saul Marquez:
That’s a good idea.
Fabien Beckers :
Yeah. You really see the value of A.I. put to work. What is important to understand is that it’s not a black box. And so as a student web based format we present the result of our segmentation of the heart. For example inside browser so the readers can see what we’re suggesting. But if he or she can override a time with manual tools so they don’t like what we do, they could change you can tweak very quickly. So it’s not something that you trust all or refuse. And then on top of it by doing that there’s something really interesting that happens which is the fact that as we go to have a web based system we have a network effect. So every one that changes something or not for us we collect that they’ll tell the suggestion and we analyze them in the background. We go through some more to a phase and analysis but the positive benefit is to really truly create a product intelligence on a global scale around improving constantly medical imaging processing and making smarter by keep releasing and improving for everyone that is on the network. And then the report is done much faster because I’m trying to validate the work for those who don’t know how to talk about how much different deep learning from previous techniques. But it really works can do to word that you’re an expert physician granting work of an expert physician now can be done automatically. And the last piece is that it’s fully workflow integrated so once the report is done it can be done exactly as if you were to be done locally and so this really zeroed needed a downside but you have this massive compute from cloud that enables to speed up your work enormously.
Saul Marquez:
That’s great. You know accuracy goes up, speed is increased and ultimately the physician continues to have the ultimate say. I think it’s a great combination of technology augmenting augmented intelligence and with deep learning and it keeps getting smarter in the process. I mean hey this is definitely sounding like a like a really great solution. Folks at the end of the podcast will provide a link where you could learn more if what we’re chatting about today sounds interesting to you. The whole purpose of what we do here on the outcomes rocket is to have some of the best minds in healthcare chat about what they’re up to so that we could bring those silos together so definitely stay tuned for that. Tell us about a time Fabien when things weren’t going so well. Maybe an error or a setback that you guys experienced that has made you guys better.
Fabien Beckers :
Oh yeah. So there’s been of course many many building sets your company has and we have a lot of experience around that. I think one of the time a theme that was difficult was that… so the secret valley is an amazing place because you have always incredible entrepreneurs and investors that really can support you but is still a trend around certain type of innovations and most on the tech side of things. Or if it sells we have to be a really big market. And so for us as work building that platform to be step which was first love for mission tomorrow and then on top of commissioning and now to plug any any I model and actress and start growing the entrepreneur platform. So now we have that space looks great. Now a lot of response is a positive from a fundraising perspective but when we started that project imaging side was a very very small market. It was not always easy. And so one of these grants we had when I think the first time where before the first time we’re presented at Arsenal which is the largest I think medical imaging convention in the world that happened in Chicago every year.
Saul Marquez:
It’s usually here in Chicago.
Fabien Beckers :
Actually on the run right after Thanksgiving. We really were entering our series A.I believe and we had found a lead and other large investors want to take part of it. I think three weeks before we were about to present NFC we cope with that it was G.E. at a time inside their booths which we really honored to have the chance. I think three weeks before we’re about to head to the round put together which was kind of unfortunate timing. One of the lead decided to not put all their money right now but predicting entrenches in order to get the other investors on board at the same time because some of those are strategic and time and that can have a very nice table aspect on the fund which is one of the lead stock not putting the same amount of money than expected and it kind of scares away… to scare away all the other followers. And we’re really I mean it’s a testament to quality of the best we have the privilege to work with. But despite that change none of the followers change our mind and it’s not a huge pull through for Arsenal and lunch. I’ll try this properly with G and everything worked well. But those kind of like logical near-death experience. I think we’re definitely say something we do remember and this so many others but it’s been a a venture to try to build your vision on the house currents starting from just a few few guys having a dream for it and now trying to work result as those other dreamers and people I want you to help secure. That is something you really center on patient and improving their health and I think we can do it. I think now just the system in place the maturity of the industry also evolve and I think people are realizing that it can be different. And just the stack of system layers that we’ve put together since the 80’s. It’s not a right infrastructure for tomorrow and for A.I we did and so we really about to enter an incredible revolution in health care are finally going to do Internet isn’t it. And that’s credible when combined empowered internet not industry and see what happen to now take care. Of course again again always following deregulation, principles, and making sure everything is safe and secure. But I think we put the groundwork to do that and so that really opened a very exciting time schoolhouse door for patient care and for research and I think that’s big.
Saul Marquez:
I love that. Thank you for sharing that I. I felt the stress and the anxiety you know and you’re like “oh man is everybody going to back out now and thankfully they didn’t.” So the launch went well and timing. I mean one of my favorite quotes is there’s nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come. And I think today it is that time where the Internet so to speak is going to be able to be applied to clinical experiences not just the business processes. So to me that’s really exciting.
Fabien Beckers :
Yeah I think that’s it exactly. I think we were lucky to see that when we started we were kind of like build a whole infrastructure it’s like sometimes we feel like on a surfboard you know waiting for the wave and we start putting ourself on the water to the wave like just really started and now we’re really being carried by that wave that market and of the timing of the industry and the maturity of the health need around Internet and office being a fully fledged are really closer to be. And that’s the current city has been amazing for us. And I think we’re very lucky in that regard now.
Saul Marquez:
That’s great. That’s a testament to you guys staying with it. Tell us about one of your proudest experiences that you’ve had to date.
Fabien Beckers :
I think I was it is two that come to mind immediately I think the first one is the the team. I mean that I maybe I’m over bragging and I’m very biased but rather incredible team. I think that’s really. I don’t know how you pulled that off but we really have an incredible team and people are passionate, they’re super smart they work hard and care and really want healthcare. You know we go in and they really want you to move the needle and I think that’s an amazing feeling to work with people that are so bright and so capable every day. And the number two I think is the fact that we’ve impacted 40,000 patient lives and we help newborn, we help a patient that have heart defects. We are going to help hopefully bring accuracy of cancer, detection, and care across the world so those are I think that I’m by far also extremely proud.
Saul Marquez:
Yeah those numbers speak for themselves. That’s the business that we’re in. So kudos to you guys. And tell me about an exciting project or focus that you guys are working on. I know there’s a lot of them but if you had to choose one which one do you want to chat about?
Fabien Beckers :
I think the one that I would pick is the fact that today I’m here with a lot of stories every day and it’s really not too. It’s nobody’s fault it’s just systems and this system is done ready where even the other day I had a potential investor that would talk to his brother had a bike accident and was 45 46 so pretty young. And then they had some broken bones and broken ribs and they got that fixed and came back a year later and he had lung cancer at stage four and…
Saul Marquez:
Oh my gosh.
Fabien Beckers :
They cured that side where they’re in their image. First of all first so he could have been taken care of. I hear that many many times. So one thing I’m excited about is the fact that today again coming back to my analogy of Google Maps when you use it whenever you are wherever you are in the world irrespective of that you’ll have the best quality of guidance that will open data really helps you go from your own age when B. And I think what is really profound idea is to bring that same quality and that same idea to everyone around the world for healthcare. So as long you have access to internet connection being in Tokyo and on Europe on as mass general or Stanford and you have business long as use our Internet connection you can send your sheet you draw trade shows and quotes a result and same accuracy result and then we’ll bring two things that will equalize and democratize quality of care in the world. I think we’re very passionate about that. Number two to start bringing in form of a baseline and offer hopefully accurate diagnoses and as early as possible everyone and I think that’s a very important piece. If everyone know that they had lied no we never say what you see. Doubtless certitude. Thank you. I think that data showing no short that you have the right diagnosis and sometimes they think would be missed. I think from families that have gone through that I think it’s terrible and it’s not acceptable. And so it’s something we’re very excited to hopefully bring to healthcare and try to push forward.
Saul Marquez:
Outstanding Yeah. Those are definitely some really exciting focal points and something that’ll make a difference to you listening right now whether it be that you’re running a facility, looking for better ways to do things, you’re running a radiology practice or if you’re just a consultant and you get something you need better care. So definitely some good stuff happening over there Fabien. Keep up the awesome work. Getting close to the end of the episode here, this part of the podcast is a lightning round so I’m gonna ask you five questions. It’s going to be quick answers on this one and then we’re gonna follow this with a book that you recommend to the listeners, you ready?
Fabien Beckers :
Sure.
Saul Marquez:
Awesome. All right what’s the best way to improve healthcare outcomes?
Fabien Beckers :
To bring it under the medicine to healthcare.
Saul Marquez:
What is the biggest mistake or pitfall to avoid?
Fabien Beckers :
Yeah I think it’s about really interesting in hundred people workflow and and focus on the doctor patient experience. Number one.
Saul Marquez:
How do you stay relevant as an organization despite constant change?
Fabien Beckers :
Keep pushing the needle and innovating and try to bring you help physicians going forward more and more. I think there’s so much to be done.
Saul Marquez:
What is the one area of focus that drives everything in your company?
Fabien Beckers :
Patient impact.
Saul Marquez:
And the final question Fabien is a two part question. What is your number one health habit and what is your number one success habit?
Fabien Beckers :
Oh that’s interesting. The health habit is sports. I think without it I would probably stress will the doors of be and the second one was?
Saul Marquez:
Number one success habit.
Fabien Beckers :
So for me I think it would be meditation. So I think having a meditation is really helpful to find a path forward.
Saul Marquez:
Love it love it. And what book would you recommend to the listeners?
Fabien Beckers :
So the question is that it hasn’t been healthcare and can be broader than that?
Saul Marquez:
It could be broader than that at the book that really resonates with you.
Fabien Beckers :
Yeah I think there’s a book I really love by Martin Eden. Which is the journey of someone will put everything to achieve their dream and become a writer. And I think it’s a very fascinating book.
Saul Marquez:
And what’s the name of that Fabien?
Fabien Beckers :
Martin Eden. By Jack London.
Saul Marquez:
Okay. Outstanding folks. Martin Eden and also take a look at the show notes as well as a full transcript and a link to Fabien’s company. Fabien what’s the link to your company?
Fabien Beckers :
arterys.com.
Saul Marquez:
arterys.com folks to learn a little bit more go to outcomesrocket.health/arterys and you’ll find a little bit more there as well. So this has been really interesting Fabien I think that the work that you guys are doing is definitely just where the puck is going. So really exciting work I love if you could just leave us with the closing thought as well as the best place for the listeners to get in touch with or learn more.
Fabien Beckers :
Yeah of course. I think closing thought is about like the power of brain thing that industry to get a thing like we want to transform research and suddenly really make a leap about transforming all those researcher with cancer care or or brain disease or cardiovascular diseases and I think by having all the data together in a cloud based system with AI with a whole group, a network, a researcher together would be transformative. So I think that’s really something that I’m excited to see next. Five years now the web search engine that industry and the last question was?
Saul Marquez:
And then the best place where the listeners could get in touch with or follow your work.
Fabien Beckers :
Of course. So the website arterys.com and they can definitely email us or protect us interests. We are talking to a lot of big large health system and smaller one as well and regulatory practices around the world that want to work with us so they have to use with whatever its interests around the topic.
Saul Marquez:
Outstanding Fabien Hey just want to say thanks again for sharing your insights and how you guys are using deep learning to improve healthcare and really excited to see where you guys go from here so. Thanks again for spending time with us.
Fabien Beckers :
Thanks so much. Really really pleased.
Thanks for listening to the Outcomes Rocket podcast. Be sure to visit us on the web at www.outcomesrocket.com for the show notes, resources, inspiration, and so much more.
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