AI systems from Berlin provide a wide range of health solutions, from diagnostics to therapy, from data analysis to process optimisation.

The innovative power of the German capital in the area of AI is not only noticeable in the high-profile areas of business intelligence and process management, but is also demonstrated by the excellent work of the AI companies which deal intensively with intelligent health and represent about 10 per cent of the Berlin AI ecosystem.

AI systems from Berlin are used in a variety of ways: they help in the diagnosis and data analysis of specific disease patterns, but are also used in operation planning and in supporting the internal processes of hospitals. Apps for intelligent data recording and analysis in the field of prevention are being developed in the context of fitness and health. Chatbots, i.e. systems with which people can communicate in natural language, also accompany patients during the healing process.

Start-ups

A number of start-ups in Berlin are pushing the boundaries of traditional healthcare with innovative solutions which could also break new ground on the international stage - always at the interface between business and research.

More than 250 million mammographies were performed worldwide in 2018, illustrat­ing the enormous effort and repetitive work to which radiologists are exposed every day. The Berlin AI Venture Studio Merantix has developed with its Vara Healthcare project an MDD-certified deep learning technology for the radiological detection of breast cancer, which is aimed at facilitating the work of doctors. With the software solution, negative results of mammographic examinations can be excluded with a high degree of certainty and effectiveness and radiologists alerted about conspicuous results and actual findings. Nocturne GmbH, on the other hand, deals with the pre­cise acquisition and measurement of landmarks of the retina, the optic nerve head and the macula as well as their analysis using AI-based software. The clinical appli­cation, developed by the research team of the NeuroCure Excellence Cluster of Charité Berlin, should be ready for the market by 2020 and provide neurologists with a reliable tool for diagnosing retinal diseases. The innovative PeakProfiling solution also focuses on the well-being of patients and the support of doctors in their daily work, albeit in a different field: depression and ADHD are two widespread diseases in Germany, but they are not always detected early enough or even at all. The Berlin-based voice and sound analysis tool, which can record emotional and physical states using AI technology, is intended to help better identify psychological and neurological diseases and determine therapies more efficiently.

One Berlin start-up which symbolises the rapid rise of health apps like no other is Ada Health. The team of doctors, scientists and engineers was founded in 2012 and its AI-supported, free app helps people to better understand their state of health and gives advice on possible treatment. Ada has now become the number one medical app in over 130 countries and is designed to help identify early warning signs of ill­ness, reduce the number of unnecessary visits to the doctor and thus lessen the effective cost of healthcare.

While Ada focuses on the entire health spectrum, Lindera concentrates on the oldest people in our society. Falls among senior citizens cost health insurance companies as much as the treatment of diabetes per case per year, often lead to death, and are avoidable if the risk factors are known. With its mobility test, the 3D image analyses gait movement with a simple smartphone camera and artificial intelligence. In addi­tion, the young Berlin start-up digitises the analysis of risk factors and the planning of measures to prevent falls in old age, systematize care documentation, reduce costs and relieve the burden on relatives and caregivers.

Everyday life for the hard of hearing and deaf persons is problematic, especially in public areas, due to high noise levels, but the founders Peter Udo Diehl and Elias Sprengel have set themselves the goal of sustainably improving their quality of life. Since 2017, the Audatic team has been working on using deep learning technology to modify audio signals so that annoying background noises can be filtered out using a smartphone in conjunction with conventional hearing aids. In addition to the desired cooperations with hearing aid and cochlear implant manufacturers, the young com­pany hopes to gain access to the lucrative smartphone and headphone market with its AI solution.