UK-based AI-powered imaging solutions provider Brainomix has teamed up with the TIPAL trial group to run a sub-study to evaluate the performance of its advanced e-Lung platform.

The TIPAL trial is financed by the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) and is sponsored by the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals (NNUH) NHS Foundation Trust.

It is a placebo-controlled 52-week multi-centre study designed to evaluate the impact of lansoprazole on patients with a confirmed diagnosis of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF).

IPF is characterised by a persistent decline in lung function, with a variable disease trajectory.

Lansoprazole is a commonly prescribed medication for indigestion, heartburn and gastroesophageal-reflux-disease (GORD).

The study is expected to enrol 298 patients, who will perform home spirometry tests to measure their forced vital capacity (FVC).

It will compare the daily assessments taken at baseline and 12 months post-randomisation, to analyse the impact of lansoprazole on change in predicted FVC.

TIPAL chief investigator Andrew Wilson said: “It is great to have the chance to incorporate the cutting-edge CT scanning technology developed by Brainomix into the TIPAL study.

“Not only will this venture tell whether lansoprazole improves the scarring detected on CT scans, but it will allow us to compare CT scan abnormalities to home-based lung function tests.”

The UK-based medical software company said that the sub-study will be conducted using its e-Lung platform, in parallel to the TIPAL trial main study.

The e-Lung is an AI-powered image processing module that standardises the assessment of lung fibrosis on high-resolution (HR) CT scans, to accurately identify patients with progressive fibrosis.

A novel imaging biomarker, the Weighted reticulovascular (WRV) score, serves as the core of the e-Lung platform.

WRV quantifies the extent of the lung affected by reticulovascular abnormalities and provides superior prognostic value compared with traditional measures.

The sub-study primarily aims to determine the difference in change in WRV score between treatment with lansoprazole and placebo, said the British medical software company.

Brainomix senior medical director and ILD at Royal Brompton Hospital in London clinical lead Peter George said: “We are excited to have the opportunity to collaborate with the TIPAL study group and to incorporate our pioneering AI technology into a prospective trial to help assess the efficacy of lansoprazole in IPF patients.

“We are highly motivated by the potential to harness our technology in a way that helps to speed up clinical trials, identify more effective drugs, and improve the lives of IPF patients.”

Mindray, a global leader and developer of healthcare solutions and technologies in ultrasound, patient monitoring, and anesthesia, announced the launch of its TE Air Wireless Handheld Ultrasound, a new imaging solution that improves ultrasound accessibility. This compact, wireless technology enables healthcare professionals to carry comprehensive scanning capabilities in their pockets, adapting to a wide array of clinical scenarios. The TE Air is the industry’s first handheld ultrasound device that can connect to either a mobile device or the touch-based TE X Ultrasound System, expanding its utility and accessibility.

The launch of TE Air builds on Mindray’s dedication to the point of care ultrasound (POCUS) industry and its continued efforts to diversify and introduce revolutionary products to the Emergency Medicine and Critical Care markets. With its compact, wireless design, the TE Air slips conveniently into a pocket, so it’s always with you and ready for use. Its versatility, coupled with flexible charging options, ensures it’s not just mobile but reliably accessible, empowering users to navigate even the most unexpected clinical scenarios with confidence.

“The TE Air is a leap forward in ultrasound technology, offering comprehensive functionality inside or outside the hospital environment,” said Wayne Quinn, President of Mindray North America. “The new 2-in-1 innovative solution empowers clinicians to overcome the traditional constraints of cords and confined spaces giving them access to premium scanning capability when and where they need it.”

The TE Air App, available on iOS, perfectly balances simplicity and efficiency by allowing one-handed operation in any location. It can also seamlessly integrate with hospital information systems to help improve workflow. Furthermore, the app works to onboard patient data management solutions to provide connected patient care.

Revvity, a US-based life sciences and diagnostics company, has expanded its imaging portfolio with the addition of next-generation preclinical imaging technologies to help researchers develop breakthrough discoveries.

The new products include the next-generation IVIS Spectrum 2 and the IVIS SpectrumCT 2 imaging systems, the Quantum GX3 microCT imaging solution, and the Vega preclinical ultrasound system.

The IVIS Spectrum 2 platform enables real-time and non-invasive longitudinal disease tracking, analysis of cell movement, assessment of drug safety, evaluation of treatment efficacy, and exploration of biological processes at the molecular level.

It comes with an advanced camera with eXcelon coating for high sensitivity imaging and a posing station that allows high-throughput imaging and enhanced workflow.

IVIS Spectrum 2 also combines 2D optical and full 3D imaging for simultaneous imaging of up to 10 specimens, Revvity said.

The IVIS SpectrumCT 2 system is said to integrate all the features of the IVIS Spectrum 2 along with integrated, low-dose CT, combining functional and anatomical imaging into a single device for maximum ease and flexibility.

The Quantum GX3 microCT system is said to be a high-resolution structural imaging solution built for enhanced image quality and versatility. It has updated five-micron spatial resolution, step-scanning, active ring reduction, and improved gating.

According to the diagnostics company, the Quantum GX3 has an 8mm to 86mm field of views to image a wide range of specimens from ex vivo biological samples.

The Vega solution is claimed as a hands-free, automated preclinical ultrasound imaging system. It is intended to swiftly provide 2D and 3D images for in vivo ultrasound studies within minutes.

Vega has an automated transducer and widefield imaging to help accelerate non-invasive research and drug development in areas such as oncology, liver, kidney disease, and cardiology.

Revvity life sciences SVP Alan Fletcher said: “In a time when innovative technologies steer medical advancements, we are committed to delivering versatile, high-throughput solutions that enhance preclinical R&D productivity.

“Our growing portfolio equips researchers with robust capabilities to illuminate scientific discoveries and can expedite the journey from discovery to cure.”

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) has recently garnered attention among materials science researchers owing to its ability to form two-dimensional nanosheets like graphene. The nanosheets are created by the stacking of S–Mo–S layers interacting via Van der Waals interactions. Additionally, the unique structural, optical, thermal, and electrochemical properties of MoS₂ have opened up multiple research avenues across several fields, including the development of biomolecule sensing and chemical detection platforms, optoelectronics, supercapacitors, and batteries.

Traditionally, carbon nanostructures have been employed as an immobilization platform for DNA. In order to substitute carbon with MoS₂ as an effective electrochemical DNA sensor, the electrical conductivity of MoS₂ needs to be improved considerably. Against this backdrop, Associate Professor Eunah Kang and Mr. Youngjun Kim from the School of Chemical Engineering and Material Science at Chung-Ang University, Korea have recently come up with an elegant solution. The duo has developed an electrochemical DNA biosensor using a graphitic nano-onion/molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) nanosheet composite, which effectively detects human papillomavirus (HPV)-16 and HPV-18, and can serve as an early diagnosis of cervical cancer.

The researcher duo prepared the novel electrode surface for probing DNA chemisorption by enabling chemical conjugation between two functional groups: acyl bonds on the surfaces of functionalized nano-onions and amine groups present on the modified MoS₂ nanosheets. Cyclic voltammetry experiments revealed that a 1:1 composite electrode had an improved rectangular shape compared to that of an MoS₂ nanosheet electrode. “This indicated the amorphous nature of the nano-onions with curved carbon layers that facilitated an enhancement in electronic conductivity compared to MoS₂ nanosheet alone,” highlights Dr. Kang.

Additionally, the duo measured the sensitivity of their novel electrochemical DNA biosensor device towards HPV-16 and HPV-18 by employing differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) technique in the presence of methylene blue (MB) as a redox indicator. Dr. Kang elaborates: “The DPV current peak was lowered after probe DNA chemisorption and target DNA hybridization. Since the hybridized DNA was double-stranded, it induced less effective MB electrostatic intercalation, resulting in a lower oxidation peak.”

The duo found that, compared to the MoS₂ nanosheet electrode, the nano-onion/MoS₂ nanosheet composite electrode attained higher current peaks, indicating a greater change in the differential peak. This was attributed to an enhanced conductive electron transfer owing to the nano-onion.

Notably, the target DNAs produced from HPV-16 and HPV-18 Siha and Hela cancer cell lines were detected by the proposed sensor effectively and with high specificity. Consequently, MoS₂ nanosheets with improved electrical conductivity facilitated by complexation with nano-onions provides a suitable platform for developing effective and efficient electrochemical biosensors for the early diagnosis of a wide variety of ailments, including cervical cancer.

Furthermore, combining nano-onions or nanodiamonds with different organic biomaterials can facilitate chemical functionality, electron transfer conductivity, light absorption, and more. These, in turn, can lead to innovative disease sensing, targeted drug delivery systems, and biomedical imaging and diagnostics.

Orion Health this week announced the launch of new digital front door services that are already being used by 15 million people in Ontario, and will soon be more generally available. The tools are designed to streamline care and tasks for overburdened healthcare workers and reduce reliance on emergency departments, the company says.

WHY IT MATTERS

The platform, called Virtuoso, is a multichannel interface where patients have a single point of contact with the health system, according to Orion. It includes a symptom-assessment tool enhanced with artificial intelligence that can help guide platform users to more targeted information and advice on available care.

“This isn’t some dressed-up patient portal,” said Brad Porter, Orion Health’s global chief executive officer, in an announcement Monday. “Virtuoso is a tailored, community-specific, highly accessible platform that integrates complex healthcare systems. It enables average joes like you and me to take control of our own health.”

New Zealand-based Orion Health, which also offers a clinical and medication management portal and health intelligence on its unified health information exchange platform, leverages existing technology, like electronic health records, and integrates it with patient portals and other systems.

The consumer-facing extension of the HIE allows users to view their health information and access an array of available self-service features.

“For the first time, people will be truly active participants in their own healthcare. They’ll have streamlined access to their complete medical history from primary care and specialists, through to hospital interventions,” Porter added.

The company says that because digital front door technology enables health systems to create tailored self-service features for their patient populations, the systems can free up time for clinicians as they broaden access to care.

Dr. Chris Hobson, Orion Health’s chief medical officer, said digital front door technology can ease medical practitioners’ workload by shifting care to patient homes or community clinics and save “frontline healthcare workers for the jobs only people can do,” in a separate statement on the company’s website.

“Access to healthcare hasn’t evolved much in my lifetime,” Hobson said in a statement. “We’ve got the same waiting rooms, the same routine questions and the same paper-based prescriptions.”

“It all depends too much on the nurses’ and doctors’ availability, which is creating unsustainable pressure,” he added. “We’re seeing far too much care occurring in hospitals. So we’ve got to find ways to lighten the load of healthcare workers and reduce physical contact between people and the health system where appropriate.”

Additional healthcare navigation services offered on the new Virtuoso platform include:

• Accredited health knowledge hub.
• Verified medical library.
• Accredited health services directory.
• Find-a-service.
• Access to digital health records.
• Translation service.
• Website or mobile app.
• 24/7 online chat and nurse-led call center.
• Virtual consultations.
• Health service navigation support.
• Wellness support and groups.
• Feedback forms and surveys.
• Appointment booking and scheduling.
• Insurance coverage checker.
• Payment gateways.

THE LARGER TREND

After a major financial downturn in 2019 and restructuring that followed a loss of government contracts dating from the Obama Administration, Andrew Bowater, Orion Health’s global vice president of corporate affairs and marketing, reported that the company pivoted to a start-up operation structure focused on innovation in order to become profitable again.

Before the pandemic, it began working on its DFD offerings and was focused on developing a “tailored, community-specific HIE platform” for state and territory health departments in Australia.

“For the first time, people will be truly active participants in their own healthcare. They’ll have streamlined access to their complete medical history from primary care, allied health professionals through to hospital interventions,” Orion Health founder and former CEO Ian McCrae said in a statement at that time.

ON THE RECORD

“Hospitals globally are overloaded,” James Rice, Orion Health’s executive vice president of North America, said in a statement. “We’ve got the same processes, and care happening in the wrong places. If we want to ease the burden on medical practitioners, then patients need to be treated in locations that make sense for the level of care required for their circumstances.”

Infinite Brain Technologies and ATLATL Innovation Centre form collaborative partnership to advance brain health technology through AI integration

With this development, Infinite Brain Technologies and ATLATL Innovation Centre have formalised a memorandum of understanding to propel the evolution of brain health technology in conjunction with artificial intelligence.

This partnership with ATLATL, leverages its extensive R&D services and vast bio-tech networks, and IBT work towards the mission of creating cutting-edge AI-powered digital therapeutics. Moreover, this partnership provides effective clinical solutions for individuals battling mental disorders.

IBT specialises in the meticulous development of digital therapeutics tailored to global brain health challenges. This strategic collaboration with ATLATL is poised to pioneer precise digital therapeutics for brain health, leveraging cutting-edge AI technologies.

Recognised for its proficiency in crafting precise digital therapeutics through advanced AI techniques, IBT is honoured to unite with ATLATL to catalyse global innovation in the realm of brain health.