AI innovations in primary care

for immediate release

On December 14^th, Cardio-Phoenix Inc. received a 510 (k) clearance for its Cardio-TriTest™ v6.5 medical device from the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This is the second 510k the company has received, the first being issued June 3^rd, 2015.

The Cardio-TriTest™ (CTT) device is a non-invasive medical device that collects 3 different types of heart bio-signals and combines them to create a more effective device able to detect and diagnose a much broader and wider range of common heart diseases than the state-of-the-art device, the ECG, currently used in Primary Care.

The CTT device is really 3-medical-devices-in-1. It includes a standard, hi-resolution, 12-Lead ECG device; plus, a 4 lead-Phonocardiograph (PCG) device; and, a 4 lead-Miraclecardiograph[1] (MCG) device. The nature of the bio-signals characterizes the electrical, acoustical and physiological aspects of the heart, which are complementary and together provide a more complete diagnosis capability of cardiac status than is possible using ECG-only devices.

When paired with the Cardio-HART™, or “CHART” for short, a cloud-based, AI-based diagnostic and analysis system, also from Cardio-Phoenix, it can diagnose 95%, compared to ECG’s 44%, of all common heart diseases, by prevalence, in Primary Care.

 

"By introducing AI into Primary Care, Cardio-Phoenix is poised to dramatically change the nature of heartcare in Primary Care." 

CEO Marc Bisnaire, Cardio-Phoenix Inc.

 

ECG only is no longer enough!

The ECG is the current state-of-the-art medical device widely in use in Primary Care today. However, little known to the public is that the ECG device has serious limitations – it can only detect a small range of common heart diseases, only ~44%[2]. That’s less than ½ of all common heart diseases. This makes it dangerous for use as a screening device in Primary Care.

Dangerous because many “sick” patients[3]  are unknowingly sent home - and forgotten! Dangerous because patients are led to believe they are “ok” when they might not be. Because they know of this limitation, that it can only detect 44% of all common heart diseases, many GP’s and family physicians are very reluctant to prescribe this test to patients – precisely because ½ of all common diseases cannot be detected, which can lead patients into to a false sense of security.  

Now compare that to CTT, with its three bio-signals, that can detect ~95% of all common heart diseases (by prevalence) at the Primary Care level, when part of the CHART system - 95%!

 

"95% vs 44% is a game-changer!"

CEO Marc Bisnaire, Cardio-Phoenix Inc.

 

Compared to ECG, Cardio-TriTest™ has a far wider and much broader range of effectiveness, with higher sensitivity and specificity compared to ECG only based devices.

This makes it ideal for widespread patient screening in Primary Care – finally, a device GP’s and family physicians can believe in that is cheap, easy, safe and highly effective.

 

"Such a device has long been needed and hoped for by the medical community, in particular by Family Practitioners."

Dr. Emese Uri, Dir. Of Ambulance (Primary Care)

 

Clinical Study Validated.

In a Validation Clinical Study of 1000 patients, that compared ECG[4] to CTT[5], for diagnosing heart disease, and validated by Echocardiography, Cardio-TriTest (CTT) reduced False Negative (FN) rates by 24.2% and reduced False Positive (FP) rates by 6.7%[6].

The study revealed that 1 out of every 4 patients diagnosed by ECG was an FN – to be sent home with a “missed” or an undiagnosed heart condition, whereas CTT properly detected/diagnosed them. The results were validated by Echocardiography.

Reducing FN means not sending sick patients’ home, only to have them return via ambulance. It also leads to more timely disease detection leading to timely access to appropriate and cost-efficient treatment options. This represents a huge potential for savings, both to patients and to the health-care providers that must pay for them.

The study also indicated that compared to CTT, ECG diagnosed more FP, healthy patients sent for further testing that CTT indicated they didn’t need, also validated by Echocardiography.

Reducing FP means fewer healthy patients filling the cardiologists waiting room, and not subjecting them to unnecessary and costly medical procedures, many invasive and of high-risk. At a time where many cardiologists are retiring, fewer are left to face an increasingly aging, and at-risk, population. The focus needs to be on treating “real” patients, not healthy patients.   

 

"Each % reduction in the rate of FN and/or FP will result in much less suffering and will help realize significant system-wide cost-savings!"

Dr. Tatjana Stankovic, Chief of Cardiology  

 

Intended for Primary Care.

The CTT device is intended to assist General Practitioners (GPs) in Primary Care to better understand the cardiac status of their patients. It is an aid to clinicians including family physicians, to help them better detect, identify and diagnose a much wider and broader range of common heart diseases and dysfunctions than is possible using the current state-of-the-art ECG devices. This will have a significant impact on Primary patient care, clinical productivity, healthcare costs, and patient survival outcomes.

 

“Soon after CTT was introduced in the regional {Primary Care} clinics, we saw an immediate reduction in healthy patients in our cardiology clinic and realized they were coming with better referral details {medical justification}. As a result, we were able to better prioritize {triage} patients which helped reduce wait times…”

Dr. Erzsebet Szabo, Cardiologist

“… after being told it {CTT} was intended mainly for use in Primary Care, I insisted on its use in clinical cardiology because it’s a practical first-use device that allows us to quickly confirm referral diagnoses. It’s also quite useful for detecting the presence of Ischemia…”

Dr. Aniko Bertini-Szabo, Chief of Cardiology

 

Effective, accessible, and cost-efficient heartcare.

This newest version of the CTT device is a much-improved device incorporating the latest technological innovations with a specific emphasis on reliability, simplicity, and manufacturability – because the more affordable it is, the more accessible it is for all patients, not just the 1%.

 

“Being affordable and highly effective, CTT will finally allow for safe and effective widespread screening for heart disease in Primary Care that was not possible in the past with ECG devices."

Dr. Emese Uri, Dir. of Ambulance (Primary Care)

 

However, the biggest beneficial impact will be immediately and directly felt by those least able to afford advanced testing for heart disease. Diseases that were usually only diagnosed at the higher and most expensive levels of healthcare, will now, for the most part, be detected and diagnosed initially in Primary Care, obliterating the socio-economic glass-ceiling that prevented those least able to afford it, to justify and access the heartcare they need.

 

"Cardio-Phoenix’s primary goal is effective heartcare, affordable and accessible, for all."

CEO Marc Bisnaire, Cardio-Phoenix Inc.

 

3 years in the making.

Three years in the making, this version of the Cardio-TriTest v6.5 is greatly improved. The changes result from what was learned in 3 years of use in several large multi-site clinical studies that included thousands of patients, and 10’s of thousands of examinations. The results include improved technology, producing better and less noisy signals, the innovative use of USB ports to simplify the use of the device and keep it affordable, an advanced EMI designs to ensure it works in noisy, signal filled medical environments, usability was also greatly enhanced, including a new harness design to make the placement of sensors on a patient easier, and more accurate. Even the color of the device was changed to a now benign, but friendlier, hospital beige. The user experience was updated to reduce, and for the most part eliminate, the potential for most human-generated errors.

 

“As a trained ECG nurse, I required only a few of minutes of additional training to fully understand how to use it. Within minutes, I was conducting my first examination, followed by eleven more that day. I just cannot see how you can make a mistake with this system, it really is simple and understandable.”

Valentina M, Nurse, Cardiology Ward

 

A Vision driven by a Relentless Commitment

Years in the making, this FDA 510(k) clearance further demonstrates that Cardio-Phoenix Inc., is no 1-trick pony. It is a clear example of the company’s relentless commitment to implementing its vision of creating the most clinically effective and technologically innovative heart dysfunction detection and diagnostic solution, particularly for use in Primary Care.

 

"While we recognize the challenge of entering markets dominated by iconic devices dominated by large multinationals, our novel technologies will radically change the nature of heart care, particularly in Primary Care…"

CEO Marc Bisnaire, Cardio-Phoenix Inc.

 

This incredible engineering and design team strived to create a truly next-generation AI-enhanced heart care technology for the detection and diagnosis of cardiac dysfunctions. This novel first-use technology is most effective when combined with the AI-driven CHART system and will be available as part of the CHART system.

 

In Primary Care, this is now the device of choice."

The sentiment of every GP that has used it.