#341 Are holograms the future of surgery? With Alison Sundset, CEO of Holocare
Mar 13, 2024
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Alison Sundset, CEO of HoloCare, discusses using holographic technology for complex surgeries. She shares her career journey from forensics to health tech leadership and emphasizes self-awareness in healthcare roles. The podcast explores using VR holograms for heart surgeries and advancing healthcare innovation through regulation and practicality.
Holocare utilizes VR for 3D organ models in surgery planning, enhancing visualization.
CEO Alison Sunset emphasizes a patient-focused approach in overcoming adoption challenges.
Strategic focus on preoperative planning for early wins and regulatory approval.
Deep dives
Holocare: Revolutionizing Surgical Planning with 3D Imaging
Holocare, a software platform developed by CEO Alison Sunset, utilizes VR technology to create 3D organ models for surgical planning. Initially used for liver surgery and pediatric heart surgery, Holocare allows multi-disciplinary teams to visualize and manipulate organs in virtual space, enhancing pre-operative planning processes. The platform's immersive 3D imaging capabilities provide a unique and valuable tool for clinicians, transforming traditional 2D CT scans into interactive 3D models.
Transitioning Utility into Adoption Challenges
Despite the innovative utility of Holocare in surgical planning, CEO Alison Sunset faced challenges related to adoption and integration. Concerns included the risk of the platform being perceived as a gimmick, the need for seamless integration into clinical pathways, and ensuring practical adoption by surgical teams. Sunset's strategic focus involved breaking down implementation into manageable steps, starting with pre-operative planning to facilitate early adoption and build credibility within the medical community.
Balancing Innovation with Practicality: Holocare's Journey Forward
In navigating Holocare's evolution, CEO Alison Sunset emphasized a patient-focused approach and the platform's origin as a solution designed by clinicians for clinicians. Sunset strategically tackled regulatory barriers, focusing on incremental implementation steps to demonstrate the platform's value in clinical settings. By aligning technological innovation with practical surgical needs and leveraging key clinician partnerships, Holocare aimed to revolutionize surgical planning and enhance patient outcomes.
Early Focus on Preoperative Planning and Regulatory Approvals
The podcast discusses the initial strategic focus on preoperative planning as a low-hanging fruit to gain early wins and regulatory approval. By concentrating on preoperative planning, the company aimed to establish trust and navigate the new regulatory pathways efficiently. The approach involved pursuing both CE mark and FDA approvals simultaneously, allowing for interaction and guidance from the FDA. This strategy led to the certification of the company as a medical device company, achieving ISO 3485 compliance and gaining market access.
Current Focus on Customer Engagement and Market Expansion
The episode highlights the company's current efforts in customer engagement and market expansion post-regulatory approvals. With a focus on customer relationships and post-market surveillance, the company aims to understand barriers to adoption and enhance acceptance in clinical settings. Trials in customer-friendly sites are providing valuable insights into the impact on clinical pathways, patient outcomes, and hospital costs. Additionally, discussions on potential expansion into orthopedics and other niche markets underscore the strategic decision-making and funding plans for future growth and market penetration.
This week, James is joined by Alison Sundset, CEO of HoloCare, a Norwegian healthtech startup developing mixed reality technology to help clinicians plan complex operations more effectively. Alison has over 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and clinical laboratory industries, and has built a track record of transforming patient care through intelligent integration of research, product and, business development.
