Israel Active

The US Department of Defense has awarded a $9.2 million contract to Israel’s MeMed to help it complete its pioneering platform for distinguishing bacterial from viral infections. MeMed had already received a 2.3 million Euro grant from the European Commission.

In the world’s first procedure of its kind, Israeli surgeons at Hadassah University Medical Center used a Mazor-Israel robot to operate on Aharon Schwartz, whose spine was broken in six places from a work accident. Schwartz is expected to be able to walk again soon.

Israel’s Aspect Imaging is developing a compact MRI system that can be placed in neonatal units for scanning newborns at the point of care. Aspect has just raised $30 million which will also help fund the development of a stroke-dedicated MRI System for Emergency Rooms.

Israel’s Via Surgical has developed FasTouch – a next-generation system for fixing prosthetic material to soft tissues in surgical procedures such as hernia repairs. Less complications, less post-operative pain and faster recovery. FasTouch is to be distributed across the US by Progressive Medical.

Ben-Gurion University and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital have founded Xact Medical, to commercialize their Fast Intelligent Needle Delivery (FIND) system. Robotics and ultrasound guide the needle into the body – good for children, whose vascular systems are so small.

A new video of Israeli Nobel Laureate Aaron Ciechanover, co-discoverer of Ubiquitin - used by cells to re-cycle proteins and prevent them from causing disease and cancer. Ciechanover's research has saved millions of lives, revolutionizing health, agriculture, and the environment.

I reported previously about Israel’s Amorphical which has developed amorphous calcium to treat osteoporosis in patients who have trouble absorbing current (crystalline) calcium supplements.  Amorphous calcium also reduces the acidity that certain enzymes use to generate cancer cells.

Haifa University has joined with Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center to launch a project to build a 20-story “Medical Discovery Tower”. It will focus on academic and commercial research of diseases.  Two floors will be assigned to the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology.

I reported previously on Israel’s MedyMatch Artificial Intelligence platform for diagnosing strokes from CT-scans.  MedyMatch has just signed separate 5-year agreements to integrate the groundbreaking technology with IBM and Samsung equipment.

Dr Hanna Alonim founded Israeli non-profit Mifne Center - the world’s first organization to diagnose and treat toddlers on the autism spectrum, and use a family therapy approach to treatment. Alonim’s ESPASI Screening Scale is used in Israel, the USA and across Europe.