Medical Analytics Company DiA Aims to Detect Heart Complications in Coronavirus Patients

Israel-based medical analytics company DiA Imaging Analysis Ltd. has received a grant of NIS 2.5 million ($710,000) from the government’s investment arm, the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) to develop artificial intelligence-based technology for deciphering ultrasound imaging of coronavirus (Covid-19) patients, the company announced Tuesday. It intends to use the grant money to help medical staff and patients receive immediate answers regarding heart conditions in the coronavirus unit via ultrasound.

Use of ultrasound in coronavirus emergency units began to gain momentum in Israel and around the world with the outbreak of the epidemic, and portable ultrasound devices were used, as they are easy to clean and can be moved from one place to another. At the same time, there is also increased difficulty in diagnosing and decoding the scans that are done mostly subjectively making there a need for automated software. "We are seeing the increasing use of ultrasound in coronavirus emergency units and the need for intelligence-based software tools to support the imaging decoding process that is now mostly done subjectively," Hila Goldman-Aslan, the CEO and co-founder of DiA said in a statement.

Founded in 2009 and based in the southern Israeli city of Beer Sheva, DiA develops pattern recognition and machine learning software that can generate automated image analysis, and be implemented in ultrasound devices and medical picture archiving and communication systems (PACS).

The grant will enable quick access to DiA's technologies in Israel and around the world, and enable the company to develop additional solutions to monitor the patients’ progress by ultrasound.

"We are excited to hear from doctors in the emergency environment that DiA's solutions are streamlining patient decision-making and real-time care in this environment," Goldman-Aslan said.