Delivering Cutting-Edge Technology To The World
June 2024 | Stroll Magazine
When you or your loved ones are in need of medical care, nothing is more important than communication with your doctor and receiving attention as soon as possible.
Providing an immediate connection between patients and their physicians is so important to Bita Lyons that she is the originator of LEO360®, a full-size robot that is a sophisticated tool enabling physicians and medical staff to connect with patients remotely, access medical information, and perform medical examinations virtually. LEO360® can provide 56 diagnostics, including modules to measure blood pressure, pulse rate, temperature, blood glucose level, blood oxygen level, and weight. It can also do much more with diagnostic preferences such as dermatoscope, electrocardiograph, otoscope, spirometer, stethoscope, and ultrasound.
“Bita is definitely the brains behind LEO360®,” said Duane Lyons, Bita’s husband. “She began working in the digital health industry more than 18 years ago and has such vision in Artificial Intelligence for healthcare decision-making and so much more.”
Together, the couple formed Lyons Global®, a company headquartered in Granite Bay and recently expanded into the UAE and Turkey. Duane is the chairman, president, and CEO, and Bita is the chief innovation operating officer. The mission of Lyons Global® is to “provide easy-to-use, adaptable, and accessible products that can expand the geographical reach of healthcare delivery,” according to Duane.
Both Duane and Bita are experts in the field, with Duane boasting 47 years of experience as a businessman, investor, financier, speculator, real estate entrepreneur/developer, and manufacturer expert. Bita has been developing robots and telemedicine platforms since 2006.
“Since I began my journey in healthcare, I noticed flaws in doctorcontrolled telemedicine technology,” Bita said. “Because of all these flaws, Duane and I decided to create a doctor-controlled robot to save time and improve efficiency for both doctors and patients.”
Bita said her focus has been on spearheading innovation in U.S. healthcare and extending her impact globally. Bita’s influence reaches 311 hospitals and 2,338 clinics, impacting the lives of 21.6 million patients.
Industry Leadership from Regis University, along with executive education from MIT and Harvard Medical School, Bita is currently studying to receive her Doctorate of Business and Global Health from California Intercontinental University in Irvine, California.
Recently, the LEO360® platform has been trialed at the Reproductive Fertility Center in Southern California. Dr. Susan Nasab, a reproductive endocrinology and infertility subspecialist and global executive medical director of Lyons Global®, and her team, including 19 staff members, provided telehealth services using the LEO360® platform. During the trial, they were able to save significant physicians’ and patients’ travel time and distance. They are planning to use LEO360® Robot in their Beverly Hills location as the second phase of the trial.
“LEO360® is one of the most comprehensive tools,” Dr. Nasab said. “With LEO360®, our patients don’t need to wait for appointments. They can easily connect with their doctors for most matters.”
LEO360® is a fully HIPAA-compliant platform that offers multiple options, such as patient registration, patient, and staff scheduling, and receiving and sending tasks and reminders. LEO360® allows the provider to obtain history and document the physicians’ notes while performing a video/audio consult. In addition, the provider and patient can invite other family members to the visit or add other staff to the consultation session at any time. Live-to-text and screen sharing during consults are among the other options that LEO360® has added to this cutting-edge technology.
Dr. Julie Wei-Shatzel with 16 years of providing telemedicine services on robotic platforms said: “The capabilities built into LEO truly stand out. It allows me to care for my patients from a distance, but with this technology, it feels like I am right at their bedside.”
In addition to Southern California, LEO360® has also been trialed in Turkey at The ACIBADEM ALIFE Healthcare Center, a long-term care facility that can accommodate up to 27 patients. According to a pilot study at the center, using LEO360® medical AI robot reduced the time needed for the physicians to arrive at the patients’ bedsides. The study determined that the average time for a physician to connect to a patient at the bedside depended only on the time needed to move the robot into the patient’s room, saving minutes or hours. The first doctor who used LEO360® Robot in Turkey said, “I can sleep at night without having to worry about not being able to take care of my patients right away.” That is the real heart of the Robot, that even the doctors who live two hours away in traffic can ease their minds because they can get a simulated bedside exam within seconds to minutes.
His lessons, etched deeply into my heart, laid the foundation for everything that was to come. Then came the pivotal moment when the VA brought me to the shores of the United States to make telemedicine programs for veterans. During the amazing journey with each obstacle, I grew stronger, and more determined to make a difference. I can never forget my dearest mother-in-law whom I called “Mom” Elaine M. Lyons, a teacher by profession and a mentor by nature. Her words were like honey and her influence taught me the invaluable lesson of pursuing higher education and embracing fearlessness to have a voice and show your knowledge.
While Duane and Bita do spend countless hours working on their vision and making new applications for LEO360, they also enjoy their Los Lagos neighborhood that they have been a part of since 1996. Duane especially takes pleasure in collecting modern art from all over the world, which adorns their contemporary- style home. They both like to cook and travel to exotic destinations. In Duane’s free time, he enjoys mountain biking and rock climbing, especially on the climbing wall the couple had built in their home.
“I also like to play guitar, especially writing songs for Bita,” Duane said.
“Now, with each passing day, we are driven by a singular purpose: to share the gift of
education and health anywhere, anytime with those who need it most. Children, perhaps like the one I once was, underserved and overlooked, deserve a chance to chase their dreams,” Bita said. “Through the fruits of LEO360,
we dream of opening doors for these children, building a school where they can live healthy, learn, grow, and follow their dreams. This is not just a dream; it’s a story waiting to unfold. And with each chapter, we hope to inspire others to join us in this journey, to pave a brighter future for generations yet to come.”
