Latest news with #EMVision
The Australian
11 hours ago
- Business
- The Australian
EMVision adds Ramsay Health Care boss to board
Ramsay Health Care Australia CEO Carmel Monaghan joins board of EMVision Medical Devices Monaghan has worked across hospital, corporate and global positions at Ramsay for almost three decades Appointment comes as EMVision progresses pivotal trial for emu bedside brain scanner to diagnose stroke Special Report: The CEO of Ramsay Health Care, Australia's largest private hospital operator, has joined the board of EMVision Medical devices as a non-executive director. With her appointment effective today, Carmel Monaghan, who has been CEO of Ramsay Health Care (ASX:RHC) Australia since 2020, joins the board of EMVision Medical Devices (ASX:EMV) at a pivotal time in its commercial journey. Ramsay is Australia's largest private hospital operator and offers a range of multidisciplinary healthcare services. It also has extensive operations internationally including in the UK and Europe. Monaghan has worked across hospital, corporate and global positions at Ramsay for almost three decades. Before her appointment as CEO, Monaghan was group chief of staff of Ramsay's global operations, gaining extensive experience and a comprehensive understanding of healthcare operations and strategy both in Australia and overseas. EMVision said she also served as the group head of marketing and public affairs, driving marketing, brand and communications strategy, during which time the group grew to become a leading private healthcare operator globally. Appointment follows start of pivotal trial Monaghan's appointment comes after the company kicked off a pivotal trial in March for its first commercial device – the emu bedside brain scanner, which is designed to rapidly diagnose stroke at the point-of-care. The pivotal trial supports US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) de novo (new device) clearance for emu. If granted clearance emu is anticipated to become the predicate device for its second device, First Responder, allowing an expedited 510(k) FDA pathway for the pre-hospital market. EMVision this week announced it had broadened the pivotal trial for its first commercial device with activation at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, scheduled for this month. Mount Sinai is recognised as a leader in stroke research and treatment. Activation of another site – Liverpool Hospital in Sydney, is in progress this Hospital is recognised as one of the largest stroke referral centres in New South Wales. All up, five world-leading hospitals are now taking part in EMVision's pivotal trial with a sixth set to be activated shortly. Watch: EMVision expands trial for bedside stroke scanner A 'transformative opportunity' Monaghan said she looks forward to working with management and fellow directors as the company enters a pivotal phase in its commercialisation journey. 'After more than three decades in healthcare leadership, I'm especially drawn to opportunities where innovation directly addresses unmet patient needs,' she said. 'Stroke and traumatic brain injury are leading causes of global disability and disease burden and will increase with an ageing population. 'Timely access to acute care and treatment are crucial in minimising the impact of stroke and so I'm excited by the transformative opportunity that EMVision's point-of-care neurodiagnostic products represent to improve outcomes for patients.' EMVision chairman John Keep said Monaghan was an 'exceptional addition' to EMVision's board. 'She brings a wealth of experience across clinician engagement, corporate strategy, marketing, procurement and government relations,' he said. 'With our pivotal trial for regulatory clearance underway, the board looks forward to Carmel's contributions as EMVision progresses through to commercialisation and growth.' This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.
The Australian
21-05-2025
- Health
- The Australian
EMVision advances its AI-driven stroke diagnostics
EMVision Medical Devices advances its AI-driven stroke diagnostics Promising new data shows enhanced performance of 'ischemia or not' algorithm Data being presented at 11th European Stroke Organisation Conference Special Report: EMVision Medical Devices is advancing its AI-driven stroke diagnostics with promising new data showing enhanced performance of its 'ischemia or not' algorithm. EMVision Medical Devices (ASX:EMV) said the promising updated data is being presented at the 11th European Stroke Organisation Conference (ESOC 2025) in Helsinki, Finland, from 21-23 May. The neurodiagnostics medical devices company previously reported that the AI-based 'ischemia or not' diagnostic algorithm achieved a sensitivity of 85% and specificity of 78% in the EMView pre-validation trial. Sensitivity is the ability of the device to diagnose a disease, while specificity is the ability to rule out false positives. The study was conducted at Liverpool Hospital in Sydney, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, and Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane. The algorithm was initially trained on more than 240 patient cases enrolled in the study. Following training, it was tested on an unseen dataset that had been isolated and not used during the training phase. EMVision said as part of ongoing innovation, the AI-powered 'ischemia or not' diagnostic algorithm has since been re-trained using cleaned training data and re-evaluated. 'Ischemia or not' refers to distinguishing between blockages – the more common ischemic strokes – and bleeds (haemorrhagic strokes). In the updated dataset, the algorithm's performance has improved as follows: Source: EMVision EMVision model shows promising detection In a limited sensitivity analysis of 20 ischemic test cases, EMVision said the emu RF-based model missed only one case, compared to nine missed using first-line Non-Contrast Computed Tomography (NCCT). EMVision said notably, three of the cases were also not identified using Computed Tomography Perfusion (CTP) or Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA). They were only confirmed on follow-up MRI diffusion-weighted imaging (MR DWI) conducted 48 hours later. Source: EMVision Pivotal trial to validate algorithm performance EMVision said whilst encouraging, due to the design of the study and limited sample size, the data does not yet allow statistically significant or generalisability conclusions to be drawn on the performance of the updated 'ischemia or not' AI-powered model. Generalisability is the degree to which the results of a study can be applied to other situations. The company said the recently started pivotal trial of its emu bedside brain scanner to diagnose stroke to support US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) de novo (new device) clearance was also designed to validate algorithm performance. EMVision said it was implementing a cost-effective strategy for continued device innovation and enhancement during the pivotal trial. Additional patients will be scanned at multiple sites in Australia outside of the pivotal trial, including the Princess Alexandra Hospital and John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle. The company said the study data would be used to progress the development of additional device features, scale the training library for EMVision's diagnostic AI algorithms – including ongoing 'ischemia or not' detection and classification development. The data – which is separate to, and isolated from, the pivotal trial dataset – would also be used to potentially extend indications by the enrolment of patients with traumatic brain injury. EMVision observed meaningful performance increases in the sensitivity/specificity of its diagnostic AI algorithms during the previous EMView pre-validation study when additional training data was used. Source: EMVision Importance of knowing 'ischemia or not' EMVision's 'ischemia or not' AI-driven algorithm could play an important role in the future of prompt stroke detection and treatment. Prompt and accurate stroke detection pre-hospital or in remote areas can accelerate treatment by ensuring that patients are directed to the most appropriate centre (e.g., stroke centre vs standard hospital) and the ED teams are prepared for their arrival, thus avoiding delays from unnecessary transfers or care coordination. In a comprehensive stroke centre, confidence in an ischaemic stroke diagnosis could enable direct transfer to an angiogram suite for intervention initiation, thus cutting down door-to-surgery times. About half of suspected stroke cases aren't stroke at all, and are instead 'stroke mimics' which often don't require the same urgent care. Identification of true stroke cases ensures that hospital resources are put to best use by avoiding unnecessary imaging expenses, or by allowing regional hospitals to treat less critical patients rather than undertaking expensive transfers where they may not be necessary. Furthermore, when it comes to treating stroke speed is crucial, treatment in the first 60 minutes after a stroke – known as 'the golden hour' – can heavily influence the likelihood of positive outcomes. This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions. Sponsored LTR Pharma appoints Associate Professor Darren Katz to its scientific advisory board to consult for Spontan. Sponsored The appointment of industry trailblazer Ashok Parekh underscores the company's commitment to leveraging deep expertise as it advances its gold projects.
News.com.au
08-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
ASX medtechs transforming brain diagnostics for better outcomes
ASX medtechs are taking brain diagnostics beyond the hospital or clinical settings to the front lines of care EMVision's First Responder portable brain scanning technology aims to speed up stroke detection for better patient outcomes Cogstate's Cognigram Digital Cognitive Assessment System is used by physicians to detect changes in cognitive function From sporting fields to ambulances, ASX medtech innovators are pushing brain diagnostics beyond hospital walls. They are reimagining how we detect, monitor and understand brain health using real-time technologies that bring speed, precision and accessibility to the front lines of care. Whether it's scanning for stroke in the critical golden hour, tracking concussion impacts in athletes, or measuring subtle cognitive decline in increasingly ageing populations, these companies are tackling complex challenges in neuroscience. Leading the charge are EMVision, Cogstate, HitIQ and Compumedics, each tackling brain health from a unique angle and driving a shift toward improving brain health evaluation. EMVision to speed up stroke detection with portable scanners According to the World Health Organization, 15 million people suffer a stroke each year, with five million dying, and another five million left permanently disabled. Speed is critical. If treatment can be given during the "golden hour" – the first 60 minutes after a stroke occurs – patients tyically see far better outcomes. That is where EMVision's First Responder technology is uniquely positioned to make a positive impact. The company was founded in 2017 by CEO and managing director Scott Kirkland and colleagues who acquired the technology from UniQuest, the University of Queensland's commercialisation arm, making its ASX debut in December 2018. The company has started a pivotal trial to support US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) de novo (new device) approval for its first commercial bedside device, the emu, which is named after the fast-running native bird and is an abbreviation of "electromagnetic unit". EMVision's emu and First Responder portable brain scanners deliver point-of-care neurodiagnostic capability in hospitals, regional clinics, ambulances, or emergency settings. "Easier access to this type of information ensures patients get the care they need as quickly as possible," Kirkland told Stockhead. In March EMVision announced that the First Responder device had successfully undertaken volunteer scans in aeromedical environments. As part of an ethics approved clinical study, the First Responder device withstood the rigours of aeromedical use in remote locations, in collaboration with the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) and the Australian Stroke Alliance (ASA). "We're excited to bring our technology to leading research centres in Australia and the United States and we look forward to future clinical use of our devices benefiting patients worldwide," Kirkland said. Cogstate detecting cognitive function The CogState (ASX:CGS) Cognigram Digital Cognitive Assessment System is used by physicians to detect changes in cognitive function in patients by measuring processing speed, attention, visual learning, working memory, visual motor function and executive function. The Cognigram system can be used to assess cognition on a single occasion or cognitive change over periodic assessments. You may have even seen or heard of Cognigram referred to as the Cogstate concussion test and mentioned in footy coverage. Cogstate is also benefiting from the strong global interest in cognition-related clinical trials, especially for Alzheimer's disease. In its H1 FY25 results, Cogstate reported a 19% surge in revenue to a record US$23.94 million, with an EBIT of US$4.8m, up 167% compared to previous corresponding period (pcp). Alzheimer's trials accounted for ~70% of Cogstate's clinical trial revenue. The company is also targeting growth in trials for other indications such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, depression, epilepsy and oncology (where the studies have cognitive endpoints, such as for brain metastases). "Cogstate has shown solid revenue growth in our clinical business, which has delivered bottom line earnings growth," CEO Brad O'Connor told Stockhead . "The question is, given an aging population and increasing incidence of neurodegeneration caused by conditions like Alzheimer's, how are we empowering people in the community to both monitor and make decisions about managing their brain health?" O'Connor said a recent report from the Alzheimer's Association calls out that people want to know if something is going wrong as they're noticing the first symptoms. "Presently, we don't provide people with the tools, which is both a challenge and opportunity." Compumedics making waves in brain imaging with TCD tech While best known for its sleep technology, Compumedics (ASX:CMP) is also building a strong global reputation for its comprehensive neurodiagnostic solutions, spanning both clinical and research applications. Compumedics' DWL brain ultrasonic monitoring division has developed a transcranial doppler (TCD) which provides rapid, non-invasive, cost-effective repeatable, and real-time measures of cerebrovascular hemodynamics (blood flow dynamics in the brain's vascular system) with a high diagnostic accuracy. TCD is proving its value as a diagnostic tool across a wide range of brain-related conditions from stroke and mini-strokes to concussion, TBI, aneurysms and brain infections. "TCD can be efficiently and effectively performed at the patient, bedside, in the ICU or operating theatre," executive chairman and CEO David Burton said. Compumedics is releasing a new robotic artificial intelligence TCD featuring a portable module that supports use in various positions – lying, sitting, or standing – enhancing its versatility. "The lightweight bilateral units are designed to be easily attached to the patient's head, similar to placing on a set of music headphones, allowing repositioning on either side of the head or both," Burton said. "This provides a flexible application in diverse clinical scenarios like emergency rooms, intensive care units, sports fields, battlefields, and ambulances." New research shows that TCD can help doctors assess pressure inside the skull, making it easier to manage patients with suspected idiopathic intracranial hypertension. A study from the Neurology department at Chemnitz Medical Center in Germany found that intracranial pressure (ICP) could be estimated using continuous readings of blood pressure and blood flow in the brain, measured with Compumedics' DWL TCD device. "Imagine a football field where a player gets a knock to the head and the brain hits the inside of the skull, swelling like any bruised organism," Burton said. "However, because of restrictions of the skull and tight space, the brain soon becomes highly pressured, which is very dangerous." Burton said on a sports field this is often compounded by a player who may initially behave and feel quite normal. Once the brain starts compressing against the skull their condition can deteriorate very rapidly. "If the player gets another major or even minor knock this is referred to as a secondary concussion and can ultimately accelerate the high pressure within the skull region to health or life-threatening consequences," he said. "The use of AI and robotics to potentially bring TCD technology to sports fields could offer major benefits for protecting players' brain health." HITIQ targets growing concussion management market HitIQ (ASX:HIQ) is also capitalising on the expanding global concussion management market with a product suite that leverages advanced technology to support early identification, assessment, and monitoring of concussion risks. HITIQ's technology is used across various sports, with commercial agreements in place with the AFL, United Kingdom Sports Institute, and English Premier League. The company is now shifting its strategic focus to the consumer market, targeting amateur and community-level athletes. In its recent quarterly report, HitIQ announced the commercial rollout of PROTEQT, its consumer-focused concussion management system, scheduled for this month. PROTEQT aims to bring elite-level technology to grassroots athletes. 'PROTEQT incorporates an easy-fit boil-and-bite mouthguard that provides the protective qualities of a premium mouthguard whilst primarily functioning as state-of-the-art head impact surveillance technology, complemented by symptom assessment tools and teleconcussion services," said chief commercial officer Damien Hawes. "This addresses the critical need for accessible concussion management in community sports." HITIQ has secured a multi-year sponsorship-style agreement with the Victorian Amateur Football Association, covering 15,000 players aged 16–35, alongside a marketing agreement with Westfield Sports High School in Sydney. Hawes said that HITIQ was close to finalising agreements with other community and regional Australian football leagues, as well as rugby league and rugby union organisations, as part of its ambition to reach 100,000 athletes aged 12 and over in the first year of the PROTEQT rollout.
