Siren, a developer of smart textiles with remote patient monitoring applications, announced today that it raised $11.8 million in a Series B financing. The San Francisco-based medical device company had its funding round led by Anathem Ventures, with participation from existing investors DCM, Khosla Ventures, 500 Startups and Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund. Additionally, DCM partner […]
Digital Health
Varian launches remote care software for cancer patients
Varian Medical Systems (NYSE:VAR) announced that it launched new capabilities for its Noona software for monitoring cancer patients. Noona supports cancer care teams with patient screening, real-time symptom reporting, secure care team messaging, telephone triage automation and patient access to medical records, enabling continuous reporting and symptom monitoring for cancer patients. Palo Alto, Calif.-based Varian also […]
This wearable could help people practice safe distancing amid COVID-19
Imec spinoff Lopos, with the Ghent University (Belgium) announced the Lopos SafeDistance wearable for promoting safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. As businesses attempt to return to in-person activities, the collaboration designed the wearable device to warn employees through an audible or haptic alarm when they are violating social distancing guidelines as they approach each other. […]
Zebra Medical Vision wins FDA clearance for AI to predict osteoporosis
Zebra Medical Vision announced today that it received its fifth FDA 510(k) clearance for its Vertebral Compression Fractures (VCF) product. The Kibbutz Shefayim, Israel-based company’s latest artificial intelligence-based product automatically identifies findings suggestive of compression fractures, which enables clinicians to place patients that are at risk of osteoporosis in treatment pathways that can prevent potentially […]
Beckman Coulter awarded expanded contract for sepsis algorithm
Beckman Coulter announced that it received an expanded partnership with BARDA for its expanding COVID-19 medical countermeasure portfolio. BARDA (the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, part of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services) awarded Beckman Coulter the partnership in collaboration with Dascena, Inc. The collaboration will offer advanced research and development toward […]
HHS announces $5 million award for COVID-19 research
The U.S. Health and Human Services Dept. announced today that it will offer a $5 million award this year to support research related to COVID-19. The new funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is set to support novel, high-impact studies evaluating the responsiveness of healthcare delivery systems, healthcare professionals and the overall U.S. healthcare system amid the […]
Quest Diagnostics launches patient-ordered COVID-19 antibody test
Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) announced today that consumers can now order a COVID-19 antibody test it launched last week directly from the company, without visiting a doctor’s office. The Secaucus, N.J.-based testing giant said consumers can purchase the antibody test service online for $119 through its QuestDirect business. They will be prompted to schedule an appointment for […]
Is coronavirus causing a run on pulse oximeters?
Multiple reports cited pulse oximeters as a device of interest as stores are selling out of the products amid claims of capabilities in detecting COVID-19 at home. Pulse oximeters can measure the saturation of oxygen in red blood cells by shining a light through the skin when clipped to the user’s body. They can be […]
Coala Heart Monitor receives EUA to provide remote heart and lung exams
Coala Life announced today that it received FDA emergency use authorization (EUA) for an expanded indication for its Coala Heart Monitor. The expanded indication for the heart monitor enables physicians to remotely monitor heart and lung sounds in real-time, which can be used in COVID-19 respiratory diagnostic exams. Coala, a Swedish company with a location […]
FDA issues 510(k) for OrthoSensor knee arthroplasty sensor
The FDA issued 510(k) clearance to OrthoSensor for its Verasense sensor-assisted technology, which the company says is the only single-use intelligent sensor that measures tibial coronal alignment and ensures soft-tissue balance. The sensor is used during primary and revision total knee arthroplasty along with the Zimmer Biomet Persona knee implant system. It’s then discarded. According […]
Could Alexa help fight coronavirus?
The Amazon Echo smart home device may inadvertently prove to be a useful tool battling the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Among the many features of the smart speaker device, and those on the market that are similar to it, are capabilities as a public health tool. According to a column in The New York Times, these […]