Roundup: HeartLab Marks $ 2 Million For US Entry, Doctor Care Anywhere Acquires GP2U Telehealth, More Memories

HeartLab Raises $ 2 Million to Bring AI Heart Software to US

New Zealand start-up HeartLab has raised NZ $ 3.5 million ($ 2.4 million) in funding round led by Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm Founders Fund .

The company is looking to deploy its new funds to further penetrate the US $ 1.5 billion AI tools market with its AI-based heart analysis and reporting platform called Pulse. It also plans to expand its talent pool with 10 additional employees over the next six months.

The Pulse platform sorts and analyzes ultrasound images of the heart. It also automates repetitive measurement tasks and generates patient reports. Currently, the AI ​​system is being tested at four sites in New Zealand.

The startup expects to receive US FDA approval for its cardiac analysis platform in the first quarter of 2022.

“We set out to design what cardiology will look like in the future and the response from early trials shows that this future is needed now,” HeartLab founder Will Hewitt said in a statement.

“The feedback from cardiologists has been overwhelmingly positive – they love the way Pulse goes beyond analyzing cardiac data and integrates into their workflow, so they can complement their interpretation of heart health. patient via the reporting tool, ”he added.

UK telehealth company Doctor Care Anywhere buys Australia-based GP2U Telehealth

UK-based Doctor Care Anywhere, which made its public debut in Australia last December, is now entering the Australian telehealth market by acquiring local telehealth service provider GP2U Telehealth for AU $ 11 million (AU $ 8 million). millions of dollars).

With the acquisition, the ASX-listed company said it plans to focus on the growing mental health burden in rural and remote areas of the country. Citing government data, mental health problems affect around half of Australian adults, with an estimated cost to the economy of up to A $ 220 billion per year.

78% of GP2U’s business is made up of online mental health services under the Psych2U brand. In the year ending June, the service provider performed 35,000 mental health consultations, a 51% jump year-over-year.

Doctor Care Anywhere CEO Dr Bayju Thakar said its acquisition “will give GP2U the support it needs to make a real difference in helping patients, especially those in rural and remote areas, access healthcare services. high-quality virtual GP care and, in particular, to support existing GPs. tele-mental health service delivery practices.

In addition, with the investment of Doctor Care Anywhere, it can increase the number of GP2U clinicians which currently include 10 general practitioners, 28 psychiatrists and 22 psychologists.

At the same time, there is also a potential technological integration of the GP2U platform with the Doctor Care Anywhere system.

Commenting on the acquisition, Sarah Richardson, Managing Director of GP2U Telehealth, said: “I am delighted to join the Doctor Care Anywhere family. Their experience in providing high quality digital health services and the opportunity for technological synergies between our companies will help us achieve our growth plans, meet the current high demand for services and enable more patients to benefit from. get high quality health care, where and when it is needed most. “

Online pharmacy start-up Medigo grabs $ 1 million investment

Medigo, an online pharmacy in Vietnam, has secured a $ 1 million investment from venture capital firm Touchstone Partners.

According to a press report, this latest investment will be deployed to expand the startup’s offerings to include telemedicine and other health services.

Launched in 2019, the startup has a mobile app where customers can order drugs for delivery. It offers 24-hour service, as well as consultations with pharmacists. Medigo serves around 200,000 users and is now a partner of more than 200 medical centers across the country.

India approves release of Israel-based Insightec incisionless neurosurgery platform

Insightec, an Israel-based medical device company, has received marketing approval from the Indian Ministry of Health’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organization for its incisionless neurosurgery platform.

Based on a media statement, the Exablate 4000 (Exablate Neuro) platform uses MRI-guided focused ultrasound to surgically remove a small target deep in the brain without incisions. The device is used to treat patients with essential tremors, tremor-dominant Parkinson’s disease, and neuropathic pain.

Used in a single session in an MRI room, the Exablate platform offers patients with essential tremors “immediate” relief from tremors with “minimal” side effects. Essential tremor is a neurological condition that causes tremors that cannot be controlled. Insightec says more than 80 medical centers around the world are treating the disease with Exablate Neuro.

“This technology provides patients with immediate tremor control with a less invasive procedure that requires no incisions or anesthesia with minimal complications,” said Paresh Doshi, director of neurosurgery at Jaslok Hospital and president of the Neuromodulation Society. of India.

Zhongchao Launches Online Health Care Center for Hematologic Tumor Patients

Chinese healthcare services company Zhongchao, through its subsidiary Shanghai Zhongxin Medical Technology, has started offering digital healthcare services to patients with hematologic tumors.

Zhongxin Hematologic Tumor Patient Care Center is a disease management platform that provides training and expert lectures; periodic health and quality of life assessments; and reminders for medications and visits. Patients can also request follow-up consultations and store their records via the online platform.

The online care center also offers medication assistance, pathological examination, examination of residual lesions and genetic testing for qualified patients.

As of August, the digital platform served approximately 10,000 patients with common and rare hematologic tumors. More than 3,000 physicians have provided digital consultations through the system, where they can also view their patient records, adverse reactions, visits and test results.

China’s hematologic tumor cases are expected to reach 222,000 over the next three years and 247,000 by the end of the decade, according to estimates by Zhong Jin Qi Xin International Consulting.

Doctors Without Borders sets up 24/7 telemedicine hotline for COVID-19 patients in India

The global independent medical humanitarian group Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) or Médecins Sans Frontières has launched a telemedicine helpline in India to provide free 24-hour medical consultation to patients with COVID-19.

Beyond teleconsultations, volunteer doctors can issue digital prescriptions, provide information on infection prevention measures and follow up on patients. The MSF service also connects callers with psychological support when needed.

“Adequate health services are not available in all parts of the country, which means that many people are being excluded, especially during the outbreaks of the pandemic where the health inequalities already present in India are dramatically increased. We believe that everyone should have access to medical care. and the helpline will strive to provide fair, affordable and accessible COVID-19-related consultations to those who need it most, ”said Dr Prince Mathew, MSF Regional Head of Mission in Asia.