From Accenture’s AI-powered app to help the visually impaired to Rayovac getting clearance from Health Canada, here are seven medtech stories we missed this week but still thought were worth mentioning.
1. Accenture touts AI-powered app for visually impaired
Accenture announced in a July 28 press release that it has developed an artificial intelligence–powered way to help the visually impaired experience their surroundings. The method involves a program called Drishti that is a smartphone-based assistant that uses AI technology like image recognition, natural language processing and natural language generation capabilities. All of those combined help describe the world around the user. It is able to tell the user the number of people in a room, their ages, gender and emotions as well as narrate books and documents like money.
2. Quantel Medical wins FDA nod for photocoagulator
Quantel Medical got approval from the FDA for its Easyret fully integrated 577nm yellow photocoagulator, according to a July 27 press release. The photocoagulator is designed to treat certain forms of macular edema and peripheral retinal pathologies. It has a wide range of settings to treat the pathologies and allows surgeons to select a Multispot mode to target multiple areas. It also has a SubLiminal mode that allows it to perform short pulses to manage the thermal effect on targeted tissues.
3. Orofacial Therapeutics wins CE mark
Orofacial Therapeutics announced in a July 27 press release that its QuickSplint interim oral appliance has received CE mark approval. The QuickSplint can be fabricated quickly and easily during dental procedures. It is one of the only applications that can be used for two to four weeks. It gives patients same-day treatment for acute jaw and orofacial pain, diagnostic aid for bruxism and offers a post-op healing aid after periodontal surgery, oral surgery and other long dental procedures.
