2018_01_17_tecnun-innoprick

Her face is known at campus in San Sebastián for having directed the theater group "Chismas" for several years. Diana Retana, a student of Master's Degree in Biomedical Engineering, finished the programs of study in May and in June she started her project de Fin Master's Degree in Innoprick, a start up born from the hand of Innovation Factory, Entrepreneurship Center of the University of Navarra in 2016. The business, based in San Sebastian, has developed a new technology for improved diagnosis and monitoring of allergies. The idea was the brainchild of Gabriel Gastaminza, an allergist from San Sebastian, Spain. Clínica Universidad de Navarraand had the support of partnership of the technological campus of the University of Navarra. As a result, several Tecnun engineers have already started their professional degree program in Innoprick.

Diana says that, in her case, she has been working on improving the classification of papules (a subject skin lesion) through artificial intelligence methods: "Each papule has characteristics, such as volume, area or thickness, and the device captures this information, tells you whether or not it is allergic, and if it is, it tells you what it is allergic to. The process is streamlined, automated and provides greater reliability". As the woman from San Sebastian explains, different allergens are currently applied to the skin and, one by one, the size of the rash it causes in the patient is recorded on graph paper. Innoprick automates the main part of the test, accurately measures the results obtained in the test and allows it to be digitized, which financial aid allows for better patient follow-up and subsequent statistical and clinical programs of study .

If there is one thing that stands out for the young woman from San Sebastian, it is the opportunity she has had to put on internship what she has learned during the Master's Degree: "I realized that my profile was suitable for what the business needed, because I had that more specific knowledge , that combination of health and technique. They helped me or advised me, but I had the possibility to take initiative, to take the project forward and to function with autonomy in decision making".

Likewise, Retana laughingly highlights the fact of "having been able to work with real patient tests" thanks to Tecnun'spartnership with the Clínica Universidad de Navarra."The codes that I have done in the PFM are with real patient tests and I could see if it gave results. Generally it did, and very good ones, and the truth is that the doctors and nurses at the Clinic perceived it as a great advance that helped to reduce times a lot".

It should be noted that Innoprick is the first Innovation Factory business in which, among other partners, the fund promoted by the University UN research and development+i Technology Transfer, managed by core topic Mayor, has invested. In addition, and despite its recent creation, it reached the final of the MassChallenge Switzerland program, organized by the prestigious startup accelerator MassChallenge.