Pharma giant Johnson & Johnson is teaming up with Alevo Technologies on a new at-home diagnostic testing platform. The new tool, called the Alveo b.well, will be built to detect viral disease — which may one day include coronavirus detection. According to a release from the company, the product will include an analyzer, nasal swabs and cartridges for the detection of a virus. Consumers can get their results right through their app.
As part of this deal Alveo will get financial, technical and regulatory support from J&J. Alevo said next up it plans to go through the steps to gain an Emergency Use Authorization specifically for the COVID-19-detecting capabilities. In late April LabCorp became the first diagnostic test for COVID-19 that permits at-home sample collection.
“With be.well, we are talking about an entirely new approach to detect and help manage infectious diseases in individuals and populations,” Ron Chiarello, founder, CEO and chairman of the board of Alveo, said in a statement. “With a low-cost, easy-to-use device/app combination, we expect to have real-time diagnostic data to track and respond to disease outbreaks at a speed and scale that we could not have come close to previously. Janssen’s technical and regulatory support will help advance our platform, which we hope will empower people for the first time at home with on-demand infectious disease detection that may enable receiving treatment at the earliest possible time – saving countless lives and medical resources – and enabling global infectious disease surveillance on a scale, and at a speed, never seen before.”
Osso VR is teaming up with medical nonprofit Jhpiego in order to develop a new virtual reality training tool to help doctor’s prepare for Cesarean sections. The tool will specifically be focused on training physicians in low- and middle-income countries. The goal is to scale Jhpiego’s education tools for a broader audience.
“At Jhpiego we’ve been able to make significant improvements when it comes to surgical safety in Low and Middle Income Countries through our innovative, evidence-based capacity building approaches,” Erica Troncoso, technical advisor at Jhpiego, said in a statement. “This technology lets us scale our expertise, increasing our reach much more efficiently in addition to allowing us to objectively assess our impact. Using Osso VR’s technology allows us the opportunity to build the capacity of surgical teams to save and improve millions of additional lives.”
WellSky and Qlik are joining forces on a new COVID-19 heat map that will be aimed at home healthcare providers. The new tool will help them see where there are current outbreaks of coronavirus. Providers and organizations can also use the data to inform their supply chain management and make decisions about where they need staffing.
“In WellSky’s ongoing effort to deliver the technology our clients need to face COVID-19, we’re giving care providers the data, insights, and visibility into the pandemic that they need to keep their teams safe in the field and protect their patient populations,” Bill Miller, CEO of WellSky, said in a statement. “With information changing daily, care providers need up-to-date data on where they should focus their attention and finite resources. WellSky and Qlik’s new coronavirus heat map will help providers make smarter, more informed decisions throughout this public health crisis.”
DarioHealth's mobile glucose users can now access medical specialists via the app, due to a new telemedicine integration with MediOrbis' MySpecialistMD network.
The virtual services now on offer through the app include primary and acute care; chronic disease management for conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and COPD; and specialty consultations or second opinions for more complicated medical concerns.
These telehealth features come alongside DarioHealth's core system: a disease-tracking and management app, as well as a connected phone attachment housing a lancing device, glucose meter and a testing-strip holder.
