Intelligent Health.tech Issue 23 | Page 7

NEWS

SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGIES AND INNOVATIVE HEALTH AIM TO STRENGTHEN CARDIOLOGY DEVICE REPROCESSING CAPABILITIES AND REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

US hospitals are increasingly looking to medical device reprocessing as a long-term strategy to save money , reduce their waste and greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen their supply chains . Cardinal Health ’ s Sustainable Technologies business is working to meet this demand and help hospitals achieve significant savings through single-use device ( SUD ) collections and reprocessing services . A report by the Association of Medical Device Reprocessors noted that in 2021 , US hospitals and surgical centres saved more than US $ 412 million through reprocessing .

Alongside this , Cardinal Health ’ s Sustainable Technologies has entered into an agreement with Innovative Health , a specialty reprocessing company and leader in cardiology device reprocessing . The agreement expands product portfolio offerings for Sustainable Technologies in an area historically not included in its reprocessing programme .
“ The success and reputation of Sustainable Technologies in the reprocessing industry demonstrates Cardinal Health ’ s commitment to doing the right thing for patients , hospitals and the environment ,” said Rick Ferreira , CEO , Innovative Health . “ We are proud to be invited to participate in their company ’ s device reprocessing programme to drive cost savings for their partner hospitals .”
Founded in 2015 by a team of reprocessing pioneers , Innovative Health helps EP labs reduce procedure costs , so they can adopt newer and better technology and improve patient care . With FDA clearances to reprocess nearly 50 advanced EP and cardiology devices – among some of the most expensive and complex medical devices used – the company offers an impactful portfolio of products in the market , both in terms of savings and carbon emission reduction .

TEMPUS LAUNCHES NEW ALGORITHM TO CLOSE CARE GAPS IN GUIDELINE- DIRECTED IHC TESTING

Tempus AI , a leader in Artificial

Intelligence and precision medicine , has announced the launch of a new program specifically geared towards using algorithms to surface patients who are more likely to test positive for actionable biomarkers , and who should receive confirmatory testing in accordance with clinical guidelines . This program is part of the larger Tempus Next platform , which is designed to identify care gaps and equip clinicians with actionable insights at the point of care . The new Next program is now available and initially focused on the identification of care gaps associated with the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 ( HER2 ) testing recommended under clinical guidelines for patients with select metastatic cancers .
As part of the initial launch , Tempus has built an algorithm that runs as part of xR , the company ’ s RNA sequencing assay , to help surface patients who are particularly likely to benefit from on-guideline immunohistochemistry ( IHC ) testing . The algorithm , which is run as part of Tempus ’ xR CAP / CLIA Laboratory Developed Test , uses RNA data to predict IHC / ISH positivity in a tumour sample . Tempus is initially deploying the program at a set of pilot sites . Tempus will notify physicians of patients who are identified by the algorithm as more likely to be HER2 positive , so that they can consider ordering confirmatory IHC testing from their laboratory of choice . The development of this program was funded by Tempus and one or more life sciences company sponsors .
“ This program is truly the intersection of all three of our business units – genomics , AI applications , and data – leveraging our deep connectivity with providers , comprehensive testing portfolio , and AI-enabled data analytics to deliver a tool that physicians can use in real-time to provide patients with the most up-to-date , guidelinedirected care ,” said Ezra Cohen , MD , Chief Medical Officer of Oncology at Tempus . “ Next demonstrates how the practical application of AI can have a positive impact on everyday clinical care by meeting the needs of patients as treatment choices become increasingly complex .”
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