A study presented this week at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) annual conference demonstrated that the noninvasive artificial intelligence (AI) technology developed by Aivf Ltd. can instantly differentiate between genetically normal and abnormal human embryos, increasing the likelihood of successful pregnancy for couples using in vitro fertilization.

Medtronic plc kicked off an app-based research study to improve understanding of atrial fibrillation (AF) disease burden and its impact on patient outcomes, quality of life and health care utilization. The first patients in the DEFINE AFib study were enrolled at Duke University Medical Center and the Florida Electrophysiology Associates in Atlantis, Fla. “When it comes to managing atrial fibrillation, there is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach, and the hope is that DEFINE AFib may give us the tools to help personalize AF management based on a patient’s individual health profile and physiology,” said Jonathan Paul Piccini, director of cardiac electrophysiology and associate professor of medicine at Duke University School of Medicine and chair of the DEFINE AFib Steering Committee. “DEFINE AF will harness the power of digital health to make fundamental discoveries about how we can manage atrial fibrillation better in each and every one of our patients.”

While stakeholders have concerns about the costs of registries for medical devices, they are still generally seen as less expensive and simpler to administer than randomized, controlled clinical trials (RCTs). A new journal article compares the quality of the data from a registry and the data generated by a clinical trial, and despite an interest in ascertaining whether registry data provided similar data quality, the authors concluded that registry data is still more useful as a means of supporting, rather than supplanting, the RCT.

Princeton University spinout Neutigers Inc. is launching a study to explore the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and everyday wearables to flag early symptoms of sickle cell anemia vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) before they get worse and land patients in the hospital. The aim is to reduce deaths and facilitate interventions to address the entire continuum of care for patients with the inherited red blood cell disorder, Adel Laoui, founder and CEO, told BioWorld.

LONDON – New data from a randomized community study involving more than half a million people has shown that of 92,116 who had symptomatic COVID-19, 38% were still reporting symptoms 12 weeks later.

Oncohost Ltd. has opened eight U.K. trial sites in the study assessing the ability of its artificial intelligence (AI)-driven proteomics profiling technology to single out which cancer patients will respond to treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors. The sites will carry out proteomic analyses of blood samples from patients with late-stage melanoma or non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), to predict their likely response to immunotherapy.

PARIS – Gleamer SAS said Radiology published compelling results from a study evaluating the performance of its artificial intelligence (AI) system Boneview, which helps radiologists and emergency doctors detect and localize fractures. This is the first study to evaluate the performance of AI-assisted health care professionals in locating bone fractures on all appendicular X-rays.

Livanova plc has launched an IDE trial of its Aura6000 sleep apnea device, following approval by the FDA to proceed with the study. The implantable pulse generator (IPG) is designed to treat patients with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) who do not get relief from a traditional continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine or refuse to use one.

Acutus Medical Inc. scored big with regulators in recent weeks. The company, which focuses on devices to diagnose and treat cardiac arrhythmias, received FDA approval to launch an investigational device exemption clinical trial for its Acqblate Force sensing ablation catheter and system in atrial fibrillation just two weeks after gaining CE mark approval for a broad suite of electrophysiology products.

The controversy over the use of paclitaxel in devices for the peripheral vasculature has taken a significant bite out of sales, but a new study serves to help reverse the narrative regarding mortality. According to a study of more than 168,000 Medicare patients, stents and angioplasty balloons coated with paclitaxel (PTX) were non-inferior to non-coated devices for mortality out to nearly three years, a finding that may encourage clinicians to return to normal utilization patterns and thus help to restore sales volumes.