ANZ news

A senior couple holding hands while walking down the street
By  Adam Ang 09:57 pm October 11, 2022
Researchers from Neuroscience Research Australia and the University of New South Wales have come up with an algorithm that provides an accurate measurement of walking steadiness and speed.  WHAT IT'S ABOUT Dubbed Watch Walk, the digital gait biomarker algorithm measures gait with a smart watch’s in-built accelerometer. It measures aspects of an individual's manner of walking, such as posture,...
A researcher demonstrating the voice screening app
By  Adam Ang 01:15 am October 11, 2022
A research team led by engineers and neurologists at RMIT University has come up with a mobile app that uses a person's voice to screen for Parkinson's disease and severe COVID-19.  HOW IT WORKS The app uses AI to analyse the changes in a person's voice in just 10 seconds. The research gathered voice recordings of people with Parkinson's and a control group saying three sounds – A, O, and M,...
MyHealth1st app and web portal
By  Adam Ang 02:02 am October 6, 2022
Klaus Bartosch has formally resigned as CEO and managing director of Australian digital health group 1st Group. 1st Group operates the health services marketplace MyHealth1st.com.au and telehealth platform Visionflex, which it acquired early this year. In a statement, Bartosch, who helped co-found the company over a decade ago, said that while it has been a difficult decision, his resignation is...
ResAppDx, a mobile respiratory diagnostic test app by Australian startup ResApp
By  Adam Ang 12:28 am September 30, 2022
Pfizer completes ResApp purchase for over $115 million Biopharmaceutical giant Pfizer has finalised its acquisition of ASX-listed digital health startup ResApp for A$179 million ($116 million), according to the University of Queensland. Brisbane-based ResApp has developed a mobile app that analyses cough sounds and diagnoses respiratory diseases, including asthma, pneumonia, bronchiolitis, croup...
University of Sydney professors Elizabeth Clarke and Bill Walter pose beside the robotic arm KOBRA
By  Adam Ang 04:33 am September 26, 2022
A new robotic arm at the Kolling Institute, a joint venture between the Northern Sydney Local Health District and the University of Sydney, is seen to improve hip and knee replacements in Australia. WHAT IT DOES Called KOBRA (Kolling Orthopaedic Biomechanics Robotic Arm), the orthopaedic biomechanics robot is one of the only two robots in the country that is based on simVitro –  a hardware...
Healthcare and business professionals in an in-person conference meeting
By  Adam Ang 02:17 am September 12, 2022
HealthMatch, an Australian startup offering a platform for matching patients to clinical trials, has recently closed a A$10 million ($6.8 million) Series C funding round led by Folklore Ventures. The round was also joined by Square Peg Capital and other investors. Launched in 2017, the company is now being used by over one million patients worldwide and has made over 3.6 million matches to...
A model wearing the Nutromics lab-on-a-patch continuous monitoring device
By  Adam Ang 02:06 am September 9, 2022
Medtech startup Nutromics has received a $14 million investment from strategic investors, including Dexcom Ventures, VU Venture Partners, and Artesian Investments. Founded in 2017, the company is developing a continuous diagnostic monitoring platform called lab-in-a-patch that uses DNA sensor technology to track multiple targets in the human body, including disease biomarkers and hard-to-dose...
 A pharmacist checking medicines on a rack
By  Adam Ang 05:07 am September 1, 2022
An international study led by Monash University has done what could be the world's first demonstration of an AI model that can predict the optimal anti-seizure medication for newly diagnosed epilepsy patients. WHAT IT'S ABOUT The research team has trained a deep-learning prediction model using clinical information from around 1,800 patients in five health care centres in Australia, Malaysia,...
A person with Down syndrome with a friend watching from a laptop
By  Adam Ang 05:04 am September 1, 2022
Western Australia's Disability Services has gone live with a new website that offers information about the health considerations of people with Down syndrome. The My Voice My Health website was designed by Down Syndrome Western Australia through the funding provided by the state's Department of Communities. The online resource hub has information on health topics relevant to people with DS; lists...
Finito digital hypnotherapy app by Mindset Health
By  Adam Ang 02:43 am August 29, 2022
Australia-based digital therapeutics startup Mindset Health has unveiled its latest digital therapeutics offering to help people quit smoking within a month. Founded in 2018, Mindset Health is building a range of hypnosis-based DTx apps. Its first product, Nerva, is a digital hypnotherapy solution for treating irritable bowel syndrome. WHAT IT'S ABOUT Its latest offering is a DTx app that uses...