Jubaan’s Tongue Twister May Save Your Life
The human gastrointestinal tract houses over 100 trillion bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses, that are unique to each individual. This human microbiome creates a dynamic environment, fluctuating and changing, depending on diet, medication and health. Jubaan has found a way to identify microbiome on the tongue by utilizing deep learning, image analysis and optic strength, to detect colorectal adenomas before they become cancer
Dr. Shimon Eckhouse, Chairman of Jubaan, tells of how his mother used to tell if he was sick by looking at his tongue. “We now know that the tongue holds crucial information regarding an individual’s health,” explains David Rainis, Co-founder and CEO of Jubaan “and we worked to create a technology that can read the multitudes of information, interpret it and distinguish between healthy people and those suffering from gastrointestinal disorders.”
Early detection + user friendly technology = lives saved
Adenomatous polyps are prevalent in 24% of the population aged 45-75. These gland-like growths develop on the membrane lining the large intestine. Over time many of these polyps grow and change into cancer. The polyps usually do not have symptoms, and in many cases are undiagnosed. “Early detection of these polyps is the key to preventing colorectal cancer and reducing fatality and mortality rates.” says Tovi Carmon, COO. “The FOBT/FIT test commonly used today requires stool samples and laboratories, and people would just rather not…They can’t be bothered, forget or just avoid anything to do with feces and secretions. There is a very low compliance level, and people tend to leave the whole matter until they are symptomatic. We understood that there is a need for an easy, user-friendly technology that offers accurate, immediate, results on early detection basis.”
The technology that reads your tongue
Using Image Analysis and optic strength Jubaan uses spectral imagery algorithms, to search for typical telltale signs of disease within color spectrums not visible to the human eye. The Gixam™, a small non-invasive device placed in the physician’s office, scans the tongue and in less than 20 seconds provides accurate results. With these results a medical path is determined, referring the patient to further treatment if deemed necessary. “Gixam™ is a fast, accurate and cheap way to get the results needed to save lives. By producing machines that are small-size and easy to use, we can simply place them in the GPs office, for their use. The Gixam™ is set to detect colorectal adenomas as they start their growth development, at their pre-cancerous stage. This is a game changer. We can identify the risky polyps years before they reach a stage of becoming cancer, in that way preventing cancer. Our technology has a specificity rate of 70%-78% and a sensitivity rate of 46%-67%, with a potential adenoma detection rate that is 2.1 times better than the commonly used FIT test. Using the Gixam™ means that there will be a better selection of patients that will be sent for the colonoscopy procedure.” Rainis elaborates. “The FIT test not only has lower specificity and sensitivity rates; it also only detects polyps that are more advanced. At that point, the treatment needed would be more aggressive and urgent than it could have been if detected earlier.”
13,000 tongues aren’t wrong
Jubaan has cameras set up in 3 medical centers in Israel: Assuta Holon, Bnai Zion Haifa and the Holy Family Hospital in Nazareth, and for the past 2 years has collected data by mapping the tongues of more than 13,000 patients. According to Carmon, Jubaan has so far mapped the microbiome patterns of 21 different GI disorders. Carmon talks about the future potential “We plan on making the Gixam™ a one-stop-shop for diagnosis of gastrointestinal disorders. Our timeline for the near future includes diagnosis of Helicobacter Pylori, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Barrett’s Esophagus, all of which at the moment these disorders suffer from nonuser-friendly and non-efficient screening procedures.”
Keeping the GPs in the loop
Jubaan aims to offer the physicians an economic incentive, that will change the current paradigm in which the laboratories are the only ones reimbursed for patient testing. In this way, the doctors themselves will encourage their patients to do potentially lifesaving screening tests more routinely, during regular doctor’s office visits, and will be present when results are provided. The physician will then be able to prescribe a treatment path and remain hands on, involved in the treatment, supervision and follow-up of the patient’s health.
“Our team includes medical experts such as Prof. Haim Shirin, Head of the Gastroenterology and Liver Disease Institute at Shamir Medical Center in Israel and Dr. Safwat Odeh, a senior Gastroenterologist at Bnai Zion Medical Center in Haifa, Israel, both of whom have guided us from day one. They believe that the innovative, state-of-the-art technology behind the Gixam™ is fundamental in changing the face of early stage of screening colorectal cancer, with the ability to dramatically improve compliance rates for screening exams. There is no doubt in the physicians minds, or in my mind for that matter, that we are on the path to change how the battle of preventing and controlling colon cancer is waged” Rainis summarizes.
The product is currently undergoing clinical trials at world medical centers such as NYU and Columbia University, with hope of achieving FDA breakthrough device designation by the end of 2023.
Partnered with Jubaan
