Regulation

A doctor looking at a MRI results on a desktop computer
By  Emily Olsen 11:00 am December 8, 2022
Avenda Health received FDA 510(k) clearance for AI-backed clinical decision support software that assists physicians in prostate cancer care. iQuest, which officially received the agency green light late last month, is meant to be used alongside MRI and biopsy results. The system uses specific patient data and deep learning to build a "tailored map" showing where cancer is located in the prostate...
A man using a smartwatch in an office.
By  Emily Olsen 12:23 pm December 7, 2022
Editor's note: This article has been updated with additional comment from AliveCor. Apple notched a win against AliveCor, a medical device company that makes personal ECGs, in a long-running battle over wearable heart-monitoring technology. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Patent Trial and Appeal Board determined on Tuesday that three AliveCor patents regarding the detection of heart...
Two people reading a tablet with analysis from EchoGo Heart Failure
By  Emily Olsen 12:31 pm December 6, 2022
UK-based Ultromics announced Tuesday that its machine learning-based decision-support system used to help detect heart failure with preserved ejection fraction had received FDA 510(k) clearance. EchoGo Heart Failure, which was developed in partnership with the Mayo Clinic, aids physicians in diagnosing the condition by providing them with echocardiogram imaging results in people over 25 years old...
A doctor meeting with a patient.
By  Emily Olsen 01:17 pm November 21, 2022
Israeli startup AEYE Health announced last week it had received FDA 510(k) clearance for its AI-based screening tool for diabetic retinopathy. The AEYE-DS system, which received the agency's green light earlier this month, uses images from each eye to detect signs of more-than-mild diabetic retinopathy, a complication from diabetes that can lead to blindness or other serious vision problems.  It'...
Elizabeth Holmes
By  Emily Olsen 06:14 pm November 18, 2022
Elizabeth Holmes, former CEO of the failed blood-testing startup Theranos, on Friday was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for defrauding investors.  The sentence ends a yearslong saga that raised questions about Silicon Valley's "move fast and break things" culture, particularly as it relates to healthcare.  Holmes, 38, was convicted of conspiracy to defraud investors and three counts of...
Food and Drug Administration Sign
By  Jessica Hagen 11:56 am October 21, 2022
The FDA on Thursday released draft guidance for its Breakthrough Devices Program aimed at reducing health disparities. The draft proposes updates that would clarify how the program would apply to medical devices that could benefit groups affected by health inequities, including disparities based on race, sex, ethnicity and access to care. The agency will also assess if the developers have...
A sign outside FDA headquarters.
By  Emily Olsen 11:57 am October 14, 2022
In late September, the FDA released its final report on the Software Precertification Pilot Program, which it launched in 2017 to explore different regulatory approaches for digital health tools. By 2022, the agency determined a new regulatory framework would be useful for software as a medical device, but it couldn't do that alone. "We are not fully capitalizing on these capabilities and...
A Tasso blood collection device.
By  Emily Olsen 12:07 pm September 14, 2022
Tasso received FDA 510(k) clearance for its patch-like blood collection device, the Tasso+. The device includes a lancet, which adheres to the arm, that connects to a test tube for collection. After users rub their arm or use a heat pack and sanitize the test site, they press a button on the front of the device to begin drawing capillary blood. Then the tube can be removed and sent to a lab for...
Two people wearing scrubs and masks in a procedure room look at a tablet.
By  Emily Olsen 01:18 pm September 6, 2022
AI-backed imaging and care coordination company Viz.ai received FDA 510(k) clearance for an algorithm that could help determine the severity of a pulmonary embolism.  The startup received the agency's green light late last month for its RV/LV ratio algorithm, which measures the diameter of the ventricles of the heart to provide the ratio of the maximum right ventricle diameter compared with the...
A sign outside Amazon headquarters.
By  Emily Olsen 11:29 am September 6, 2022
The Federal Trade Commission is investigating Amazon's $3.9 billion acquisition of primary care provider One Medical. According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, One Medical parent 1Life Healthcare and Amazon both received requests from the FTC for more information regarding the deal on Sept. 2. The planned acquisition was first announced in late July. In the filing, 1Life...