HONG KONG – A researcher at Israel’s Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) has developed a test that identifies those carrying the COVID-19 virus in less than a minute. And it is both affordable and works with greater than 90% accuracy to boot.
HONG KONG – Contact tracing is seen as one of the more effective measures to contain the current COVID-19 pandemic. Now, an Israeli company may hold the solution with its app-free tech. Herzliya-based Wave Guard Technologies Inc. has an algorithm-based solution that allows government health care agencies to trace contacts of COVID-19-infected individuals accurately, effectively and in real time.
HONG KONG – Israeli companies have produced some promising med-tech solutions for COVID-19, and the artificial intelligence space is turning out to be a particularly strong area of expertise for that tiny but mighty nation. One of the four health maintenance organizations (HMO) in Israel, Maccabi Healthcare Services, has deployed a new AI-powered algorithm that identifies individuals estimated to be at the highest risk of severe COVID-19 complications due to pre-existing conditions and other health factors.
Vayyar Imaging Ltd., which focuses on 4D radar imaging, reported that the Israeli government is using its sensor technology to fight the spread of COVID-19. “Vayyar uses 3D imaging to map what is happening in any environment but incorporates a fourth dimension – detecting and analyzing changes over time – to provide the most comprehensive monitoring solution,” Ofer Familier, general manager of Vayyar, told BioWorld.
Pi-Cardia Ltd. has raised a $27 million round of financing led by Sofinnova Partners. The Rehovot, Israel-based company will use the round to back parallel U.S. feasibility and European pivotal trials of its catheter-based, nonimplant heart valve calcification treatment.
HONG KONG – Whether bats are the source of COVID-19 is a debatable point; however, using sound to navigate like them could prove key for diagnostics and disease monitoring. Bat-Call Ltd. is using its auscultation technology in the battle against the pandemic. It said its patented artificial intelligence (AI) infra-sound analysis and deep learning classification technologies can support the early detection and monitoring of COVID-19 patients.
LONDON – Ibex Medical Analytics is preparing for commercial rollout in Europe after receiving CE-IVD marking for its artificial intelligence (AI) decision support system for automated interpretation of prostate cancer biopsies. Galen Prostate, trained on more than 60,000 samples from multiple institutions, is intended to give a second opinion on digitized slides, following initial assessment by a pathologist.
HONG KONG – Yokneam, Israel-based Serenno Medical Ltd. has unveiled a device for automatic monitoring and detection of kidney damage in patients. Known as Sentinel, the device is a continuous urine output (UO) monitor that measures urine flow rate and volume in real time.
The FDA has awarded a breakthrough device designation to a polymer film implant to create an artificial endothelial layer in the eye. Known as Endoart, it is designed to replace a non-functioning endothelium, which is the single layer of cells on the inner surface of the cornea. Without it, excess fluid flows into the cornea and can result in severe vision loss.
Check-Cap Ltd., of Isfiya, Israel, reported positive results from a U.S. pilot study of its C-Scan System, a preparation-free, ingestible scanning capsule-based technology aimed at preventing colorectal cancer (CRC) through early detection of precancerous polyps. The company is currently preparing an IDE submission with the U.S. FDA and plans to launch a pivotal clinical trial in late 2020.