Primasun is an end to end, clinically supported solution for addressing complicated sleep disorders, and recently launched at HLTH 2022. It was formed as a joint enterprise between Resmed, which is a global leader within digital health and sleep technology, and Verily, which is an Alphabet precision health company. Primasun offers combined cutting edge healthcare tech and leading healthcare research into one intuitive and comprehensive digital health platform. Although being described by the CDC as a public health epidemic in 2014, insufficient sleep still continues to have an enormous impact on the lives of millions, the healthcare system and the workplace. A lot this can be attributed to poor access to care, and it is estimated that up to 70,000,000 Americans currently struggle with an undiagnosed sleep disorder. Despite this, there is reportedly only one sleep specialist per every 43,000 Americans who are able to help them find and receive the relevant care. Using a preventative care model, Primasun works with healthcare providers and employers with the aim of identifying populations who are at risk, and connects patients with certified sleep physicians, who them guide them through the process of being diagnosed , then treated, in a matter of weeks. "Sleep is the foundation of physical and mental health, and at Primasun, we believe there's an opportunity to build a more efficient, equitable healthcare solution that helps patients clinically improve their sleep, and in turn, their quality of life," said Jonathon Lobbins, CEO of Primasun. "We're proud to offer a solution that lowers barriers to care, empowers patients to take control of their health, and helps reduce poor sleep's strain on the home, workplace, and healthcare system." "The clinical proof is clear: Diagnosing and treating sleep disorders can help people live healthier and longer, be safer and more present in their work and personal lives, and lower their healthcare costs," said Carlos M. Nunez, M.D., chief medical officer of ResMed and Primasun board member. "We're thrilled to see Primasun generate greater awareness about the importance of sleep and help pave more equitable pathways for people to optimize their sleep and overall health." The initial product offering from Primasun offers to connect patients with certified sleep specialists, who are able to clinically assess patients with symptoms of insomnia, identify and treat obstructive sleep apnoea, and give guidance on ways to improve sleep hygiene.

Representatives from HT Medical Devices attended COMPAMED/MEDICA 2022, a world leading trade fair for the Medical Technology sector. Over 5,000 exhibitors from 70 nations globally showcased the latest innovations and technologies in the industry.

Siemens Healthineers have announced plans to reduce the size of its diagnostic testing division, which promises a “leaner organisation and footprint” by 2025 in the wake of supply chain cost increases, device shortages and rising inflation, along with revenues lost to the COVID lockdowns. Siemens has a portfolio which encompasses lab instruments and assays, as well as automation and IT services. The company has set the goal of saving €300M over the coming years, which is roughly $301M US, as well as aiming for “significant complexity reduction” within its various product lines. “In diagnostics, we have come to the conclusion that the dramatically changed macroeconomic environment demands immediate and comprehensive measures,” CEO Bernd Montag said during the company’s fourth quarter earnings call for its 2022 fiscal year. Those “external headwinds” have “materially outweighed the significant operational improvements we have achieved,” Montag added. "The pandemic has shown that our diagnostics business can quickly adopt to unprecedented circumstances by building up an antigen test business, which delivered 1.5 billion euros of revenues in fiscal year '22 alone," Montag said. "Building on these successes, we will take decisive actions to compensate for the adverse external factors I mentioned." Staff reductions will also come into effect as Siemens abandons what Montag describes as “less relevant” geographic markets, focusing instead on more strategic regions. This was echoed in a report from a Reuters, which claimed sources close to the company had informed them of these job cuts and the abandoning of certain locations. Siemens also lowered its revenue estimates for its diagnostics division, currently forecasting between 3% and 5% growth in revenue per year until 2025, where it was previously expected to be between 4% and 6%. Despite the fact that Siemens Healthineers hoped to save €300M per annum through reductions, to achieve that goal, the medical tech giant will need to incur major one-time costs, which could total between €350M to €450M, according to Montag. Another aspect of the company’s plan is hinged around the delay of the launch of Siemens’ Atellica C1 1900 lab testing hardware. Though still under development, it was unveiled earlier this year, aiming to serve as a more standardised replacement for a variety of instruments in the company’s portfolio. “Our portfolio complexity has been a particular burden in the current challenging supply chain environment,” Montag said. “The CI 1900 is a very important piece of the puzzle. It will help us simplify our setup and run a leaner and more clinically focused R&D operation.”

Medical device company Boston Scientific recently launched the LUX-Dx Insertable Cardiac Monitor (ICM) System in Europe. The ICM System is a long term diagnostic device that is inserted under patients’ skin, with the aim of detecting arrhythmias which are associated with certain conditions, such as AF (atrial fibrillation) and cryptogenic stroke. The Lux-Dx has been designed with a dual stage algorithm which detects and verifies potential arrythmias, before sending an alert to clinicians. This algorithm can be remotely programmed to identify atrial flutter, bradycardia episodes, rhythm pause and tachycardia episodes, allowing the device to recognise arrhythmias whenever specified parameters or thresholds are exceeded. Additionally, the tech also has the potential for supporting patient follow-up of electrophysiology procedures via remote monitoring, which could play an essential role when it comes to supporting the efficiency of medical teams. This remote patient monitoring should help clinicians in prioritising care when hospital teams are particularly under pressure, as they can provide guidance on triaging each patient. Lydia Bradley, CRM service lead physiologist & ACP at Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust, England, said: “We had the opportunity to be one of the first in the UK to implant the LUX-Dx ICM. Signals seen so far at implant have been providing great sensing and amplitude of P waves as well as fibrillation waves. Patients have been happy and confident with the ease of setup and use of their patient phone. Ease of use, clarity of the information and intuitive platform are invaluable in helping us make prompt decisions.” After LUX-Dx is implanted, patients are given a mobile device which contains the pre-installed MyLUX app, which can connect through Bluetooth to their ICM device. Information from the app is transmitted either daily, or when required, to the LATITUDE Clarity Data Management System, which gives physicians and care teams instant access to vital knowledge. Angelo De Rosa, vice president and general manager EMEA, Rhythm Management, Boston Scientific, said: “We are excited to expand our reach into the cardiac diagnostic field with the LUX-Dx ICM System. Signal quality, dual-stage algorithm and remote programming will further unlock the potential of remote patient monitoring technology in Europe and reinforce the therapy offerings we can provide to physicians, from diagnosis to treatment.” The Lux-Dx ICM System has achieved CE Mark within Europe, as well as US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance.