Israel’s Vocalis partners with Mayo Clinic to detect pulmonary hypertension through voice; Israel’s CartiHeal gets US FDA breakthrough device; Dream Doctors save the day; and much more!

By Michael Ordman

ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Monitoring high blood pressure in the voice

Israel’s Vocalis (reported here previously) has partnered with the Mayo Clinic to detect and monitor pulmonary hypertension (PH) from analyzing a person’s voice. Initially, they will identify PH vocal biomarkers indicating an increase in blood pressure within the arteries of the lungs.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israels-vocalis-mayo-clinic-to-develop-voice-based-medical-biomarkers/

Knee cartilage implant is a breakthrough

Israel’s CartiHeal (reported here previously) has received US FDA breakthrough device designation for its Agili-C implant. Agili-C has been implanted in over 500 study patients with knee, ankle and big toe cartilage lesions in trials at leading centers in Europe and Israel.
https://www.prnewswire.com/il/news-releases/cartiheal-receives-fda-breakthrough-device-designation-for-the-novel-agili-c-implant-301150023.html

Send in the clowns

Doctors and nurses save lives of many Covid-19 patients in Northern Israel’s Poriya hospital. But it is the “Dream Doctors” therapeutic clowns that save their sanity. Some patients deteriorate due to their emotional state, even though their vitals seem fine. They are much better after a Dream Doctor’s visit.
https://www.israel21c.org/why-israel-is-sending-in-the-clowns-to-the-covid-ward/

First human tests of Israeli Covid-19 vaccine

On Nov 1, two Israelis received the first doses of Israel’s coronavirus vaccine candidate developed by the Israel Institute of Biological Research. The volunteers were inoculated at Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer and Hadassah’s Jerusalem Ein Kerem Medical Center.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/first-2-volunteers-injected-with-israeli-virus-vaccine-kicking-off-human-trials/
https://www.jpost.com/health-science/israel-launches-coronavirus-vaccine-human-trials-647631

The next generation of antibiotics

Israel’s Omnix Medical (reported here previously( is developing novel antibiotic agents for the treatment of hospital-acquired infections involving resistant bacteria. Omnix has successfully completed lab testing and has now raised funding to allow it to commence human clinical trials.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3868294,00.html

https://www.omnixmedical.com/

How the brain learns movement

Scientists at Israel’s Technion Institute have discovered which of the brain’s neurons are involved in learning complex movements of the body. These neurons remember success or failure and adjust their initial state for the next trial, so that the body’s movement can adapt.
https://www.technion.ac.il/en/2020/10/skilled-movement-the-brain/

New microcatheter saves patient

Doctors at Israel’s Sheba Neuro-Interventional & Stroke Center performed a unique procedure using the BENDIT steerable microcatheter. They saved a 74-year-old Israeli who had a giant brain aneurysm that was compressing his brainstem and had a high risk of brain hemorrhage.
https://www.israelhayom.com/2020/10/30/man-survives-brain-aneurysm-thanks-to-israeli-startups-device/
https://www.bendittech.com/

Joint Israeli-UAE stem cells project

Israel’s Pluristem (reported here previously) and the Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Center (ADSCC) have unveiled their first joint projects. One – a potential Covid-19 treatment – is the first time Pluristem’s PLX cells will have been administered via a nebulizer.
https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/10/01/2101896/0/en/Abu-Dhabi-Stem-Cells-Center-and-Pluristem-Unveil-Joint-Projects-at-Malta-Conferences-Foundation-Online-Event.html

Diabetes treatment in US

Israel’s DreaMed Diabetes (see here) has partnered a number of US health clinics. Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford; Billings Clinic Montana; Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital, NYU Langone and UF Health will provide diabetes patients with DreaMed’s personalized solutions.
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200930005419/en/DreaMed-Expands-Its-Remote-Diabetes-Solution-to-Four-Clinics-Across-The-U.S.

Knee cartilage implant is a breakthrough

Israel’s CartiHeal (reported here previously) has received US FDA breakthrough device designation for its Agili-C implant. Agili-C has been implanted in over 500 study patients with knee, ankle and big toe cartilage lesions in trials at leading centers in Europe and Israel.
https://www.prnewswire.com/il/news-releases/cartiheal-receives-fda-breakthrough-device-designation-for-the-novel-agili-c-implant-301150023.html

Diagnosing complex medical conditions

Israel’s Navina is an AI platform for primary care physicians to get an intelligent view of patient data. It assembles an intuitive Patient Portrait – a logical grid that results in faster assessment (less risk of Covid-19 transmission), reduced missed diagnoses and better treatment.
https://www.prnewswire.com/il/news-releases/navina-completes-seed-investment-round-of-7-million-to-solve-the-healthcare-crisis-using-artificial-intelligence-starting-with-primary-care-301150885.html
https://www.navina.ai/

30-minute Covid-19 tests for Israel

Israeli-founded, US-based Visby Medical has shipped to Israel hundreds of its 30-minute Covid-19 PCR tests. Israel’s Minister of Science and Technology, Israel is trying to persuade Visby to manufacture the kits locally.  https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3853631,00.html

Breath test detects asymptomatic Covid-19 carriers

Israel’s Flanimus has developed a breath test that can detect Covid-19 infected individuals, even if they never display symptoms. 20,000 nano antennas absorb material from the mouth. These are then scanned with a terahertz spectrometer to identify Covid-19’s signature.

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