Irish med-tech firm developing AI-powered tool to predict lung disease as it marks ten years in business

• Founded in 2015, patientMpower is a leading specialist in remote monitoring technology for lung conditions.
• Business now reaching seven countries, with programmes spanning 12 different conditions across 35 international clinical care centres, including the NHS.
• patientMpower solutions have supported the care of nearly 20,000 patients to date, with technology enabling 1.7 million home respiratory tests.
• The company has received over €5M in funding to date from investors and grant awards 

Irish med-tech firm patientMpower is expanding its remit to develop an AI-powered tool for the prediction of lung disease as it marks ten years in business. 

The development, in partnership with RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, University College Dublin (UCD) and Enterprise Ireland, is set to build on patientMpower’s existing work as a leader in remote medical monitoring innovation in international markets. 

The development aims to improve the management of chronic lung diseases, with work initially focusing on interstitial lung diseases (ILD), a condition with an estimated treatment market size of €3 billion globally. 

People with the most common form of ILD have a lower average life expectancy than those with most cancers, but the speed of disease progression is highly variable and as yet unpredictable, severely impacting both clinical care decisions and patients’ lives. 

The AI-powered tool will monitor symptoms of ILD along with lung function and other medical parameters to predict the rate of progression of the disease. Utilising an algorithm to sift through collated data, clinicians will be better equipped to predict to the progression of ILD among their patients, and plan care accordingly.

The RCSI Principal Investigator, Professor Killian Hurley, is a consultant respiratory physician at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, and Professor of Medicine at RCSI, where he leads research into genetic lung diseases and regenerative medicine. 

Cepta Duffy, Department Manager for Life Sciences & HealthTech at Enterprise Ireland, said: “Enterprise Ireland is proud to work with patientMpower as they continue to grow and innovate from their base in Dublin. Over the past decade, they have developed technology that is improving patient outcomes and supporting more efficient healthcare delivery in Ireland and in key international markets. Their latest project – developing an AI-powered tool to help predict and manage lung disease – is a strong example of the ambition and expertise within Ireland’s digital healthtech sector, and we look forward to supporting their continued success on the global stage.”

Professor Killian Hurley commented: “This collaboration between RCSI, UCD and patientMpower represents a significant step forward in how we approach the management of chronic lung disease. By combining clinical insight with advanced AI technology, we have the potential to transform care pathways and improve outcomes for patients living with conditions like ILD. It’s an exciting example of how Irish-led innovation can have global impact.”

Professor Fergal O’Brien, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation at RCSI added: “At RCSI, we are committed to advancing research that delivers real-world impact. Collaborations like this with patientMpower demonstrate how academic innovation can drive transformative healthcare solutions, improving outcomes for patients in Ireland and internationally.”

Founded in 2015 by Eamonn Costello and co-founders Kerill Thornhill and Colin Edwards, patientMpower specialises in remote digital monitoring for lung conditions, enabling patients to better manage their own healthcare while simultaneously supporting the reduction of lengthy hospital waiting lists. 

Based at The Digital Hub in Dublin 8, patientMpower has grown to provide digital health solutions across seven countries, including the US, UK, Canada, Germany and the Netherlands. Over its ten years in business, its technology has supported the care of nearly 20,000 patients, with current delivery programmes spanning 12 different conditions across 35 clinical centres. 

The Irish medical innovation business first found international success in 2019 with a deal in New York's NYU Langone Health, where a home monitoring solution was established for its lung transplant programme. 

Using patientMpower software, which enables the identification of post-operative complications from home, NYU Langone recorded a 66% reduction in the need for out-patient appointments. The success of the firm's first international deal was widely regarded, with US Federal data rating NYU Langone’s programme as the best in the nation and Lung Transplant Director Dr Luis Angel attributing patientMpower’s solution as being integral to this success.

One year later amid the pandemic, the business recognised an opportunity to support overwhelmed healthcare systems and rapidly developed a COVID-19 remote monitoring solution in just two weeks. The technology became a critical component of the HSE’s response to the pandemic, with impacts visible across several hospitals, including the Mater, Beaumont and St. James’s Hospitals, where over 3,000 patients were remotely monitored from March 2020, freeing up much needed bed capacity. 

The same year became one of growth, as patientMpower’s expansion flourished with multiple contracts awarded with the NHS. Deals with major healthcare centres, including Guys’s & St Thomas’, Birmingham and Manchester Hospitals, resulted in the business winning a NHSX Digital Health Partnership Award in 2021.

Commenting on the business’s growth, Eamonn Costello, CEO of patientMpower said: “patientMpower was born out of direct experience in navigating the healthcare system, with a view that emerging technology could be used to support a more patient-centric approach to care. Over the last ten years, we have seen this model come into play with our technology rolled out across 35 clinical care centres and its success to date is astounding. As technology continues to rapidly develop, we want to grow with it and that’s why we’re now exploring how AI-powered technology can support our systems, like so many other sectors. 

“The story of patientMpower over the last ten years has been truly incredible and I am very proud and thankful to our team, as well as our partners, friends and colleagues across the Digital Hub campus and its wider network. We look forward to continuing to grow our business and introduce new technology to enhance the patient experience and contribute positively to the healthcare sector at home in Ireland and abroad.”

For more information on patientMpower, visit patientmpower.com 

Ends

Issued by Murray on behalf of patientMpower

For more information, please contact:

• Richie Oakley, roakley@murraygroup.ie, 087 2451 824
• Amy McMahon, amcmahon@murraygroup.ie, 083 896 3106

About patientMpower

patientMpower is a digital health company specialising in solutions for remote patient monitoring and virtual care founded in Dublin and based at The Digital Hub. Our mission is to empower patient-centred healthcare & actionable insights through digital innovation. The patientMpower solution combines home monitoring of objective and subjective measures, inbuilt data quality control, patient-tailored alerting features and automated care work-flows. From our establishment in 2015 we have invested in continued innovation, focusing on specialist care solutions co-developed alongside leading clinical experts & patient organisations. Today, patientMpower’s solutions are used by centres across North America, the UK and EU to enable a new approach to healthcare, reducing the need for outpatient appointments by as much as 70% and decreasing hospital admission by up to 82%.

Despite growth across international markets including entrance to Canadian and Belgian markets in 2023 and a deal with the renowned ERASMUS Medical Centre in 2024, patientMpower has continued to support the development of services in the HSE. 

Since late 2023 the business has launched new e-health ‘seedling programmes’ in the HSE, across diverse conditions designed to inform wider healthcare transformation. One project with the Midlands Regional Hospital Tullamore saw the development of a new smartphone free home monitoring system specialised for the lung condition COPD for individuals who do not have access to smartphones, which enabled a 93% reduction in hospitalisations, improving both patient care and hospital efficiency.

patientMpower continues its plans to scale and grow, with the publication of four major clinical trials scheduled for this year, in addition to the development of its AI-powered lung disease prediction tool. The first of four randomised controlled clinical trials (RCTs) conducted by  researchers at Tallaght Hospital in Dublin showed that patientMpower technology enabled an 82% reduction in hospitalisations of patients with COPD, highlighting the importance of the business’ innovation in supporting the health system. 

About The Digital Hub

Located at the heart of the historic Liberties area of Dublin city centre, The Digital Hub provides high-quality workspace and support to small businesses in the technology and creative sectors, social enterprises, artists, and craftspeople.

A total of 51,354 sq. ft. of multi-use office, studio, collaborative and flexible workspace is currently occupied while a further 7500 sq. ft.  is also used by businesses and academia for meetings, events, and classes and by Ireland’s major theatre companies for rehearsals and performances.

At present, 58 innovative businesses and organisations are based on The Digital Hub’s campus, collectively employing over 600 people on location. Current member companies include indigenous enterprises such as Akara Robotics, Bizimply, Kavaleer, MEG, Neuromod and patientMpower while the campus is also home to over 40 artists, craftspeople and arts organisations including the Dublin International Film Festival, field:arts, Flux and Pallas Projects.

The Digital Hub is also a supportive partner of its neighbours and the surrounding local community, leading a series of initiatives and projects for people of all ages, abilities and interests. These wide-ranging programmes seek to develop 21st century skills in young and old, demonstrating the potential of digital innovations to transform lives. 

Further information is available at: www.thedigitalhub.com