In times of crisis, immense creativity often comes to the fore, precipitating major changes. This has been the case in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) era. Healthcare technology has leaped to the fore to help healthcare providers manage their patients better by reducing the dangers inherent in personal contact, waiting in crowded waiting rooms or laboratories, and hospitalizations.

Digital health products played a prominent role in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and in helping caregivers and patients navigate their care in the past year. Going into 2022, remote monitoring, wearables, sensors, and other mobile health (mHealth) products are taking center stage in defining the future of medicine. "One of the clearest areas of excitement now and into the future is the sector of healthcare products referred to as wearables. These are devices like fitness trackers, heart monitors, and other devices that record in real time and communicate biometric data either directly to the user or to a connected platform for a variety of purposes, including coaching, intervention, analysis and even within clinical trials administration," notes a recent report from contract manufacturer Jabil, St. Petersburg, FL. The report, "Digital Health Technology Trends," finds that "the top three solution categories providers are developing or plan to develop are in patient monitoring, diagnostic equipment, and on-body or wearable devices (see Figure 1). As digital and mHealth capabilities have become an integral part of many medical devices and diagnostics, they have enabled a more agile and flexible healthcare system to emerge in the face of COVID-19. These products will continue to improve access to patient care. Digital transformation of healthcare is not just about adopting new digital technology, notes a recent position paper from medtech giant Philips. It's about reimagining healthcare for the digital age -- using the power of data, artificial intelligence (AI), cloud-based platforms, and new business models to improve health outcomes, lower the cost of care, and improve the human care experience for patients and staff alike."

This article was originally published in the July/August edition of CERN Courier magazine. Today, the tools of experimental particle physics are ubiquitous in hospitals and biomedical research. Particle beams damage cancer cells; high-performance computing infrastructures accelerate drug discoveries; computer simulations of how particles interact with matter are used to model the effects of radiation on biological tissues; and a diverse range of particle-physics-inspired detectors, from wire chambers to scintillating crystals to pixel detectors, all find new vocations imaging the human body. CERN has actively pursued medical applications of its technologies as far back as the 1970s. At that time, knowledge transfer happened – mostly serendipitously – through the initiative of individual researchers.

MedTech Europe has called for the urgent clarification of a proposed artificial intelligence regulation because it uses an overly broad definition and is misaligned with existing regulatory frameworks. The European Commission outlined its plans to regulate AI, including medical devices and in vitro diagnostics that feature the technology, earlier this year. Under the proposal, the European Union would require high-risk AI systems to "comply with certain mandatory requirements" before coming to market. The Commission acknowledged a risk of overlap with existing regulations but envisioned the framework complementing requirements such as the Medical Devices Regulation. However, MedTech Europe contends the proposal falls short of that vision.

Clinicians and surgeons are increasingly using medical devices based on artificial intelligence. These AI devices, which rely on data-driven algorithms to inform health care decisions, presently aid in diagnosing cancers, heart conditions and diseases of the eye, with many more applications on the way. In a new study, Stanford faculty discuss sex, gender and race bias in medical technologies. Pulse oximeters, for example, are more likely to incorrectly report blood gas levels in dark-skinned individuals and in women. Given this surge in AI, two Stanford University faculty members are calling for efforts to ensure that this technology does not exacerbate existing heath care disparities.

Prisma Health on Tuesday announced a 10-year partnership with Siemens Healthineers to use artificial intelligence to help physicians better diagnose their patients and devise treatment plans. The partnership means employing the latest technology across all Prisma sites, said CEO Mark O'Halla. "The whole goal of this relationship is leveraging technology and our relationships with each other to significantly improve access … by improving productivity and throughput," he said. "We are leveraging all the artificial intelligence expertise that Siemens is bringing to the table and teaming up with clinicians." The idea is that clinicians will make more informed decisions, ultimately allowing for faster and more precise diagnoses and treatment plans, he said. The arrangement, whose financial details were not disclosed, will focus on next generation medical technology, said Dave Pacitti, president and head of the Americas for Siemens Healthineers, the parent company for several medical technology companies.

The medical device remains a crucial component in improving the quality of life. Key players in the medical technology arena are going on the AI track to invent cutting-edge devices with high precision and automation. Expectations are high as the future of healthcare delivery is poised for steady growth with AI onboard. Picture a smart sensor device that estimates the possibility of a heart attack or an imaging system that uses algorithms to spot a brain tumor – these are real-world evidence of AI medical technologies in action. Application design teams harmonizing AI technologies into medical devices made these realities.

This virus has held global healthcare delivery at a standstill for over 18 months, despite the promising vaccine roll-out. The U.S. "passed the hospital breaking point" in December, as a headline in The Atlantic put it. Rochelle Walensky of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that a recent increase in coronavirus cases could herald a "fourth surge." If we do not act quickly to resolve the situation, the result could be thousands of untimely deaths. In just one example, clinicians around the world are using artificial intelligence auto-contouring tech to automate and optimize the time-consuming task of pinpointing organs at risk.

The Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine (CAIM) will be officially opened in January 2021 in Bern, Switzerland. The center, founded by the University of Bern and the Inselspital, University Hospital of Bern, is intended to be a platform for research, teaching and transfer of medical technologies using AI, aimed at improving the provision of patient care and facilitating the work of physicians and caregivers. The healthcare sector today generates more data than healthcare professionals are able to analyze. AI allows us to use this data to determine the characteristics that doctors, caregivers and other health professionals need to make more accurate diagnoses and better treatment decisions. With AI, treatments become more accurate – unnecessary interventions can be avoided and treatment successes improved. In cancer therapy, for example, treatment plans can be designed more specifically for the patient to minimize radiation exposure.

Acquisition Expands Medtronic's Artificial Intelligence and Data Capabilities, Becoming the First Company to Offer an Integrated Spine Solution Including AI-Driven Surgical Planning, Personalized Spinal Implants and Robotic Assisted Surgery DUBLIN, Nov. 16, 2020 /CNW/ -- Medtronic plc (NYSE:MDT), the global leader in medical technology, today announced that it has completed its friendly tender offer for France-based Medicrea International (Euronext Growth Paris: FR0004178572 – ALMED Medicrea; OTCQX Best Market – MRNTF), a pioneer in the transformation of spinal surgery through artificial intelligence (AI), predictive modeling and patient specific implants. On July 15, 2020, the parties announced a friendly voluntary all-cash tender offer at the price of €7.00 per Medicrea share. As a result of completion of the tender offer, Medtronic currently owns in excess of 90% of Medicrea's share capital and voting rights and will shortly request the implementation of a squeeze-out procedure under French law, which will result in Medicrea becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of Medtronic. This is Medtronic's seventh acquisition completed in 2020 and furthers Medtronic's strategic expansion into AI, machine learning and predictive analytics. Medicrea's product portfolio consists of 30 510(k) cleared or CE Marked implant technologies, utilized in spinal surgeries for adult deformity, pediatric deformity and degenerative disease.