ex-Propeller Health CEO to advise Aevice Health's board

Singapore-based medtech company Aevice Health has appointed David Van Sickle, former CEO of mobile respiratory health firm Propeller Health, as its strategic board advisor.

According to a media release, Van Sickle, who has over 15 years of experience in digital health, will assist Aevice Health's team in developing a US commercialisation strategy. He will also support the company's efforts in building clinical evidence for its remote monitoring solutions.

"David’s experience and expertise will be instrumental in helping Aevice Health excel in the US market and beyond. He brought Propeller Health to the global stage and revolutionised the way asthma and COPD are managed. I look forward to his guidance and believe he will serve as a similar catalyst to the growth of Aevice Health," said CEO Adrian Ang.

Surgical robot maker Brain Navi to enter Middle East, Egypt markets

Taiwanese surgical robot maker Brain Navi is set to enter the GCC region and Egypt through its latest distribution partnership with Medtreq Medical Equipment.

The deal involves the distribution of its NaoTrac surgical navigation robot, which combines machine vision and a proprietary algorithm to perform robot-assisted surgery, streamlining surgical procedures with real-time imaging and minimal invasive outcomes.

Aside from the Middle East and Egypt, the companies will also market the NaoTrac robots in Jordan, as well as in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, through Medtreq's Philippine branch.

Olympus introduces third-gen Visera Elite surgical visualisation platform

Olympus Corp., a Japanese optical and digital precision technology manufacturer, has unveiled its latest surgical visualisation platform for endoscopic procedures across multiple medical disciplines.

The Visera Elite III offers multiple observation modes, integrating 3D and infrared imaging functions from its predecessor Visera Elite II and a 4K imaging function from VISERA 4K UHD system.

It comes with a focus adjust mode during 4K surgical observation and an EDOF (Extended Depth of Field) function that allows precise endoscopic observations through continuous broad focus and seamless magnification. It also provides C-AF (Continuous Auto Focus) capability that automatically adjusts the focus in accordance with the movement of the camera head and endoscope. It also supports fluorescence-guided surgery and Narrow Band Imaging, a unique observation mode developed by Olympus for examining features such as small blood vessels in the mucosa and surface patterns. 

Moreover, this latest system allows users to set up customised departmental profiles for different medical disciplines.

Olympus now allows software upgrades to Visera Elite III to add new surgical imaging functions, making it no longer necessary to replace an entire surgical visualisation system to access the latest technology. 

Visera Elite III will become available across Europe, EMEA, parts of Asia, Oceania, and Japan from September this year.

Andhra Pradesh's NATCO Cancer Center adopts Dozee's RPM solution

The NATCO Cancer Center, the flagship cancer hospital of the state of Andhra Pradesh in India, has started installing a contactless remote patient monitoring solution from Dozee.

The connected bed platform uses AI to track vital parameters such as heart rate, respiration rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, ECG, and temperature. It also has an early warning system that helps staff identify signs of patient deterioration. 

In adopting the solution, Dr Durgaprasad, professor and head of Radiation Oncology at NATCO Guntur, said: "Cancer patients need constant vital monitoring, timely critical care, and at the same time are highly prone to associated infections. By adopting Dozee's contactless patient monitoring [solution], nurses and doctors can prioritise critical patients as a result of the timely alerts."

The remote patient monitoring solution is being provided through Dozee's MillionICU initiative, which seeks to convert one million hospital ward beds into smart connected beds.