Israeli AI firm gets grant to develop COVID-19 management solutions
The grant provides DiA with a budget of millions of shekels to allow their AI solutions to be more accessible both domestically and abroad, and accelerate R&D with a focus on COVID-19 management.
By AARON REICHDiA’s LVivo AI solutions automatically generate an objective and accurate analysis of cardiac function on ultrasound devices like GE Healthcare’s Vscan Extend.(photo credit: DIA IMAGING ANALYSIS)
Israel-based artificial intelligence leader DiA Imaging Analysis received a grant from the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) for the research and development of AI-based ultrasound imaging solutions for analyzing COVID-19 patients.Certain trends in MedTech development have become more relevant than ever as the field adapts to the challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic. The use of ultrasound in emergency settings is one such example, having gained momentum since the pandemic's onset. As healthcare workers are forced to set up makeshift COVID-19 departments in hospitals, portable ultrasound can offer diagnostic support that is both mobile and easy to disinfect.However, analyzing ultrasound images is mostly done visually, which has led to a growing need for automated solutions in analysis, such as through AI programs.“Minimizing the risk of exposure to infection, while continuing to triage and care for patients is now part of the new normal,” DiA CEO and co-founder Hila Goldman-Aslan told The Jerusalem Post.“With AI, clinicians can shorten ultrasound scanning and analysis time to make better, faster decisions, minimize unnecessary echo exams and manage patient bottlenecks. The time for AI-powered ultrasound is now.”DiA, a leading provider in AI automated solutions for ultrasound analysis, not only meets this need, it also makes it more accessible to ultrasound users with varying levels of experience. This is exemplified by the country's flagship product, the LVivo Cardio Toolbox. This AI-based cardiac ultrasound analysis tool allows health care workers to automatically generate an objective analysis accurately and efficiently.This is especially important during the coronavirus pandemic, as recent data has highlighted the importance of looking at the heart during the progression of COVID-19. One study even explained that 20% of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 showing signs of heart damage had increased mortality rates. As such, DiA’s LVivo cardiac analysis solutions are especially effective, allowing for on the spot objective, accurate and efficient analyses without leaving the patients' bedside.The IIA grant will provide DiA with a budget of millions of shekels to allow their AI solutions to become more accessible both domestically and abroad, as well as accelerate research and development of new solutions with a focus on COVID-19 patient management.“The purpose of IIA’s call was to bring solutions to global markets for fighting COVID-19, with an emphasis on relevancy, fast time to market and collaborations promising continuity of the Israeli economy,” IIA chairman of the board Dr. Ami Applebaum said in a statement. “DiA meets these requirements with AI innovation for ultrasound.”“We see growing use of ultrasound in point of care settings, and an urgent need for automated, objective solutions that provide decision support in real time,” Goldman-Aslan explained.“Our AI solutions meet this need by immediately helping clinicians on the front lines to quickly and easily assess COVID-19 patients’ hearts to help guide care delivery."
