GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) – In this week’s Tech Tuesday, our partners at UF Innovate and SCAD Media highlight Quency, a company that transforms traditional ultrasound scans into an immersive 3D experience. Quency co-founder and CEO Stephan Strassle shares how this technology allows clinicians and patients to step inside the image and interact with it in real time.
“How is virtual reality allowing expecting parents to connect with their baby more?” asked Elora Duong, the host of UF Innovate. “We’re here with Quency to learn more. Stephan, tell us a little bit more about who you are and what you do,” Duong requested.
“I’m a UF alum and the current postdoc hydro tech, as well as one of the co-founders of Quency, a tech startup that’s developing a virtual reality software that allows you to visualize current medical 3D ultrasound scans in VR to make the images clear and easier to understand,” answered Stephan Strassle, CEO of Quency
“And so why is this important?” Duong asked.
“It’s important because a 3D ultrasound system generates a significant amount of data that can be very hard to visualize. It comes down to the responsibility of the viewer to be able to evaluate the data and effectively make [a 2D] image of the data [in their head] to make clinical solutions. But it also comes down to the patient not being able to understand the data because they don’t have this experience with it as their doctor. So, for instance, expecting parents who have [a lot of 3D] ultrasound scans, [can] use this to better understand the scans they received and better connect with their child, because a lot of these expecting parents are coming into these prenatal clinics really just wanting to get cute images of their kids. And so, the whole VR aspect of it has a whole layer of immersion, which they really have learned to enjoy so far, we’ve seen,” Strassle responded.
“And how is this different than maybe what’s already out there?” Duong asked.
“Currently, the VR space in medicine is very new and only starting to develop. All the companies that currently exist are focusing on other 3D modalities such as MRI and CT. We’re coming in and developing the technology to allow current ultrasound systems to [use these] latest advancements so that it could usher in this new wave of visualization [in] medicine,” Strassle responded.
“And where is this at in the process right now?” Duong asked.
“We’re currently partnering up with multiple clinics in various states that focus on prenatal ultrasound scans, trying to bring the technology so that expecting parents are able to get this much more immersive experience when they’re having their ultrasound scan. We’re also currently partnered with [Emory University School of Medicine] , where we’re exploring the application and the technology within patient communication, as well as data visualization,” Strassle responded.
To find out more about Quency, visit their website.
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