Medanta taps Qure.ai for AI-driven chest x-ray analysis

Medanta, a multi-speciality medical group in India, has partnered with Qure.ai to implement the latter's artificial intelligence software to enhance chest x-ray analysis. 

The hospital group will be adopting the qXR software which automatically analyses chest x-rays and spots findings for better diagnosis and treatment. The AI tool can detect 30 abnormalities of the lungs, pleura, heart, bones and diaphragm. 

"Medanta strives to deliver world-class healthcare through its high-end medical equipment and superior infrastructure. State-of-the-art technology is an essential aspect of healthcare delivery," Dr Naresh Trehan, chairman and managing director of Medanta, was quoted as saying in a news report. 

The Qure.ai software has also been adopted by Fujifilm Corporation for its portable X-ray FDR Xair system. Through its recent partnership with AstraZeneca Malaysia, the startup has brought its x-ray software to some primary care clinics in Malaysia to support the early detection of lung cancer there.

Medical cobotics centre to be launched in India

The I-Hub Foundation for Cobotics at the Indian Institute of Technology – Delhi (IIT Delhi) and iHub Anubhuti at the Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology – Delhi (IIITD) have signed a memorandum of understanding to set up India's first medical cobotics centre.

The two government-backed university technology hubs have been developing advanced technologies in robotics and collaborative robots (cobotics), digital health, sensing and computing technologies for robotic-assisted surgeries, training, and medical procedures.

According to a press statement, the Medical Cobotics Centre (MCC) at IIITD will be a tech-enabled medical simulation and training facility for young resident doctors, as well as other healthcare professionals, paramedical staff, technicians, engineers, and researchers. 

It will also serve as a validation centre for research outcomes in the area of healthcare cobotics and digital health. This upcoming facility will establish partnerships with companies, undertake research, and work toward the commercialisation of technologies.

MMC's training programmes will be at multiple levels and cohort-specific, such as urology, neurology, and laparoscopy, but will be initially limited to minimally invasive surgeries. Experts from All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi and other medical colleges will be consulted for these programmes and invited as guest faculty to conduct them.

The first batch of trainees is targeted to be inducted around April-May next year. They will be initially trained with basic training simulators while advanced surgical robots will come in the next phase. 

Moreover, the centre will also be a place for various technology innovation hubs under the Indian government's National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems to "showcase their medical-related projects and products with applications," according to IHFC CEO Ashutosh Dutt Sharm and IHFC Project Director Subir Kumar Saha.

Philips Foundation backs cardiac rehab programme in Singapore

Philips Foundation is funding one of the centres run by social service agency Singapore Heart Foundation that provides subsidised cardiac rehabilitation services. 

The year-long project of Royal Philips' non-profit organisation aims to reduce the mortality rate of cardiac incidences and help lower a patient's risk of hospital readmission. 

Specifically, it intends to close the gap in patients' lack of participation in rehab programmes, which is considered a huge barrier in the secondary prevention of heart diseases. It was reported that only between 6%-15% of Singaporean patients attend cardiac rehabilitation programmes. 

SHF–Philips Foundation Heart Wellness Centre is one of the social services' three centres that provide cardiac patients and at-risk individuals with access to heart health.

Philips' support, according to SHF Heart Wellness Centres Chairman Dr Tan Yong Seng, will provide SHF with the "resources required to continue providing affordable and quality support to the patients in need, as well as give our team the capacity to focus on raising awareness on the importance of cardiac rehab[ilitation] and drive higher participation in our programmes".

Under the partnership, 20 sites in Singapore will be equipped with the Philips HeartStart automated external defibrillators (AED) and 500 persons will be trained in giving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and AED over a year.

"Through the heart wellness centre's education initiatives, the AED roll-out and the CPR training, we want to equip individuals and communities with the knowledge and resources to reduce the mortality rates of cardiac incidences in Singapore," Philips Singapore Country Manager Ivy Lai said.