Digital biology news in brief-w/c 20th Jan

digital biology new updates

Date: 27th January 2020

21/1/20

Healthcare agency, Pulse, digitalises a diabetes education programme.

X-PERT Health, a diabetic education charity, has appointed a digital healthcare agency, Pulse, to transform their ground-breaking diabetes education programme onto a digital platform.

X-PERT programmes have reached and benefitted over 300,000 patients to date.  However, an estimated 415 million people are living with diabetes worldwide, with millions still undiagnosed.  Their aim is to provide effective education that helps prevent or manage diabetes and other long-term medical conditions.

Pulse, based in London, UK, will deliver the new digital platform, which will be accessible via an app or website.  It will enable X-PERT Health, also based in the UK, to scale up its current group based programme and so allow hundreds of thousands more patients to develop the knowledge, understanding and confidence to make lifestyle changes to prevent or manage Type 2 diabetes.

https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/leading-digital-healthcare-agency-pulse-selected-to-innovate-award-winning-diabetes-education-programme-879734540.html

 

Leading medical retina centre adopts AI eye screening system.

Eyenuk Inc., is a global artificial intelligence (AI) medical technology and services company and are global leaders in real-world applications for AI Eye Screening™.  They have announced that the Medical Retina Center and the Diabetic Retinopathy Telescreening Program of the University Eye Clinic of Genoa, Italy, has successfully expanded their diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening program by leveraging the EyeArt® AI Eye Screening System.

In Italy alone, an estimated 3.2 million patients have diabetes, with around a quarter of them affected by DR, which can lead to visual impairment and blindness.

The EyeArt AI System is the most extensively validated AI technology for autonomous detection of DR to date, using AI algorithms to autonomously analyse images of patient eyes taken with a retinal camera.  In Italy’s first national screening campaign the system identified 214 patients as having referable DR that were never diagnosed before.

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200121005452/en/Leading-Medical-Retina-Center-Italy-Adopts-Eyenuk%E2%80%99s

 

22/1/20

Dutch Hospital Expands its Use of Sectra’s Medical Imaging Solution to Include Digital Pathology.

Sectra, an international medical imaging IT and cybersecurity company, has agreed a deal with Dutch hospital, Zuyderland MC that will enable a digital approach within their pathology unit.

The digital pathology workflow will make it possible to access and share images and information between departments and hospitals. Storing, reviewing and sharing digital pathology images will increase efficiencies in primary diagnostics and improve cancer care by facilitating the handling of complex cases.

This solution will handle approximately 35,000 examinations per year, and reportedly provides Zuyderland with a unified strategy for all imaging needs, whilst improving patient outcomes concurrently with lowering operational costs.

https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/dutch-hospital-expands-its-use-of-sectra-s-medical-imaging-solution-to-include-digital-pathology-861444560.html

 

23/1/20

AI company, Vyasa, joins startup cohorts to tackle leading healthcare challenges.

Vyasa Analytics, an innovative provider of highly scalable deep-learning AI analytics software, has been selected to join the 2020 MassChallenge HealthTech program, a startup accelerator that matches later-stage digital health startups with industry experts to accelerate innovation and transform healthcare.

The MassChallenge HealthTech is a digital health innovation hub which supports digital health startups. Based in Boston, US, they also have other US locations together with Israel, Mexico and Switzerland.

Vyasa, based in Boston, will provide their deep learning software solutions, including Layar, Synapse and Cortex, which offer highly scalable, deep-learning AI based text and image analytics in the life sciences and healthcare sectors.  It is hoped that through Vyas’s clients the technology will translate to better patient experiences and healthcare outcomes.

 https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200123005134/en/Deep-Learning-Artificial-Intelligence-Leader-Vyasa-Analytics

 

Cybersecurity vulnerability of six GE medical devices.

The healthcare cybersecurity provider CyberMDX, has reported a collection of six cybersecurity vulnerabilities that have been discovered in a range of GE Healthcare devices popular in hospitals.

They found six different design flaws all constituting high-severity security vulnerabilities present in GE CARESCAPE Patient Monitors, ApexPro, and Clinical Information Center (CIC) systems.

The FDA have now issued a safety communication informing health care providers, facilities and patients about the cybersecurity vulnerabilities that have been identified.

It is hoped that by bringing these issues to the attention of healthcare providers, they can be quickly addressed thereby contributing to safer, more secure hospitals.

From a broader view it highlights the importance of cybersecurity and in protecting patient safety, both in pre- and post-market applications.

https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/cybermdx-research-team-discovers-collection-of-ge-medical-device-vulnerabilities-mdhex–864758980.html