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A precision-nutrition decision platform for one of medicine's most unforgiving environments.

We built an AI-driven feeding-recommendation system for the Medical Client — turning a proprietary neonatal dataset into protocol-backed guidance that nurses can act on, in real time, at the bedside.

Client
Medical Client
industry
Healthcare
country
United States
engagement
End-to-end product build
stack
Angular
.Net
PostgresSQL
system overview

Three data streams → an AI decision layer → bedside guidance.

Input · 01

Feeding protocol

Astarte's clinical protocols, parameterised per infant.

Input · 02

Microbiome data

Proprietary gut-flora profiles as a first-class signal.

Input · 03

Growth metrics

Longitudinal weight, length and velocity curves.

↓ ↓ ↓
AI
Decision engine

Protocol-matched feeding decision tree

Considers prior outcomes, growth velocity, tolerance signals and contraindications — surfaces a prioritised recommendation with the protocol rationale attached.

↓ ↓ ↓
Output · 01

Nurse dashboard

Output · 02

Rounding report

Output · 03

Epic EHR sync

94%
Protocol adherence rate post-launch
Faster feeding-decision time
Epic
EHR integrated via HL7 / FHIR
0→1
Built end-to-end · no legacy base
01 / Client
A precision-nutrition company sitting on a proprietary clinical dataset.

Client's data was scientific. Their software was nonexistent.

The Client is a US-based precision-nutrition company focused on outcomes for preterm infants. Their clinical work had produced a rich, proprietary dataset — feeding protocols, microbiome profiles and longitudinal growth metrics — one of the most comprehensive neonatal nutrition datasets in existence.

The problem: that dataset lived in disconnected systems. Clinical teams couldn't act on it in real time. Feeding decisions were still made manually — from memory and judgement — without systematic access to what the data suggested. Astarte needed a software partner that could turn the science into a clinical tool.

02 / Challenge
Decision intelligence in a setting where the margin for error is millimetres.

Preterm care is unforgiving. The cognitive load is enormous.

Feeding decisions affect gut development, growth velocity and long-term neurological outcomes — and must be made multiple times daily by nurses managing several critically ill patients at once. The constraints shaped every part of the build.

01

No existing codebase

Zero — no prototype, no legacy system to extend. The platform had to be designed and built end-to-end, from data model to clinical UI.

02

Multi-stream data complexity

Recommendations had to integrate historical intake, current growth curves, microbiome indicators and protocol parameters — all varying per patient.

03

Clinical-trust requirements

The system had to augment clinical judgement, not replace it. Every AI suggestion needed to be traceable, with an override path and a logged reason.

04

EHR integration

Bidirectional connection with Epic — patient records flowing in, compliance data flowing out — without disrupting hospital workflows.

03 / Approach
The dataset is the intelligence core. The application's job is to make it queryable at the point of care.

A four-layer build, scoped to the clinical workflow.

0
1
Data layer

Unified patient data model

We designed a PostgreSQL schema that brings feeding history, growth-velocity measurements, microbiome profiles and protocol parameters into a single queryable structure. Infant parameters are logged on admission and continuously updated through the care episode.

0
2
AI decision engine

Protocol-matched feeding decision tree

An AI-based decision tree processes current clinical indicators against Astarte's protocol library. It considers previous outcomes, growth speed, tolerance signals and contraindications to surface a prioritised recommendation — with the rationale attached so nurses can review and override if clinically indicated.

0
3
Clinical interface

Nurse dashboard & rounding reports

An Angular front-end presents recommendations in a low-friction interface. A dedicated rounding-report tab consolidates everything for ward rounds. Growth charts let leads review trends at individual and cohort level. Protocol modifications are logged and visible.

0
4
EHR & analytics

Epic integration and performance analytics

Bidirectional Epic integration keeps records in sync without manual re-entry. An analytics layer tracks compliance metrics across patients and time periods, giving clinical and research teams visibility into adherence and outcome correlations. All data is exportable for research and reporting.

04 / Delivered
Nine capabilities, designed as one clinical decision-support platform.

What we shipped.

0
1

AI feeding recommendations

Decision tree suggests timing, volume and constituents from clinical indicators and historical outcomes.

0
2

Growth-monitoring charts

Visual tracking of growth velocity against expected curves, with deviation alerts.

0
3

Rounding report tab

Consolidated patient summary for ward rounds — all the relevant data, one screen.

0
4

Protocol-compliance tracking

Every modification logged with a reason code, enabling retrospective compliance analysis and audit.

0
5

Epic EHR integration

Bidirectional sync — records flow in, compliance data flows out, no double-entry.

0
6

Central identity server

Role-based authentication and access control with audit trails for every data access.

0
7

Organisation analytics

Performance dashboard for clinical leads — adherence rates, feeding outcomes, protocol effectiveness.

0
8

Data and report export

Patient data and reports are exportable for external analysis and regulatory submission.

0
9

Microbiome data integration

Astarte's proprietary microbiome profiles are first-class inputs into the recommendation engine.

05 / Results
From disconnected data to actionable intelligence at the bedside.

Compliance went from untracked to measured. Decisions got faster. Nurses got their cognitive capacity back.

94%
Protocol adherence rate post-launch
Faster feeding-decision time
Epic
EHR integrated via HL7 / FHIR
0→1
Built end-to-end · no legacy base

Protocol adherence, finally measurable

Compliance tracking surfaced consistent adherence across participating NICUs after platform adoption — a clear improvement on the pre-software baseline where deviations were untracked and common.

Cognitive load, back where it belongs

AI-generated recommendations reduced the time staff spent on feeding calculations, freeing capacity for direct patient care. Nurses report confidence in acting on system suggestions.

Real-time record currency

Bidirectional Epic integration eliminated manual data entry between systems, reducing transcription errors and keeping patient records current across the platform.

End-to-end greenfield delivery

Data model, AI engine, clinical interface, EHR integration and analytics layer — all designed and delivered by our team, starting from no codebase.

06 / In the team's words
"
Client's proprietary dataset integrates feeding protocols, microbiome profiles and clinical information. We synchronised it with the application so it generates actionable suggestions in the form of a decision tree — giving nurses protocol-backed recommendations at the exact moment they need them.
UT
Project lead
Unlocking Tech · Engineering team
07 / Stack
Mature, auditable, regulated-environment-ready.

Technology stack.

Built for reliability and clinical performance. Every piece of the stack was chosen for its track record in regulated healthcare deployments, not for novelty.

Angular
.Net
PostgresSQL
Csharp
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