Activ Surgical, Inc.

Foregut Surgeon, who trained at the Esophageal Institute - West Penn Hospital in Pennsylvania, uses Activ Surgical’s proprietary technology during surgical procedure at Abdali Hospital in Amman, Jordan BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Activ Surgical, a digital surgery pioneer, announced that it has completed its first international surgery at Abdali Hospital, a member of the Clemenceau Network, in Amman, Jordan using its ActivSight™ Intelligent Light (ActivSight), which aims to provide enhanced visualization and real-time, on-demand surgical insights in the operating room. ActivSight is an easy-to-adapt module that seamlessly attaches to today’s laparoscopic and robotic systems and integrates with standard monitors. On December 24, 2023, Mohamad Rassoul Abu-Nuwar, MD, who specializes in general and advanced laparoscopic gastrointestinal surgery, foregut, as well as bariatric surgery, performed a surgical bariatric revision procedure using the ActivPerfusion™ Mode within ActivSight. Dr. Abu-Nuwar completed a fellowship in Minimally Invasive Foregut Surgery at the AHN Esophageal Institute in Pittsburgh where he trained with Drs. Blair Jobe and Kirsten Newhams on using ActivSight in esophagectomies for cancer patients. At this program, Dr. Abu-Nuwar participated in a clinical study demonstrating that ActivSight’s Laser Speckle Contrast Imaging (LSCI) provides real-time, repeatable, and on-demand perfusion assessment without dyes to help prevent esophageal anastomotic leaks. Ahmad Abu Ghazaleh, Executive Vice Chairman of Abdali Hospital said, “We at Abdali Hospital pride ourselves in being the Middle East’s prime center for healthcare innovation and pioneering technology. The use of ActivSight by Dr. Abu-Nuwar in surgery demonstrates our commitment to patient-centered excellence.” “West Penn was among the first hospitals where we launched ActivSight in 2022,” said Manisha Shah-Bugaj, Chief Executive Officer at Activ Surgical. “Now, with Dr. Abu-Nuwar championing our technology at Abdali Hospital and the support of one of our lead investors, Hikma Ventures (the strategic venture capital arm of Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC), we are able to deliver intelligent information to doctors beyond the U.S. to reduce surgical complication rates. As we continue to achieve significant milestones such as this, our vision is to transform the collective surgical experience by leveraging emerging technologies and data into insights that make cutting-edge surgery accessible for all.” Hikma Ventures led Activ Surgical’s Series B extension round in March 2022 and has made 20 investments to date in global digital health companies. Commenting on this milestone partnership, Lana Ghanem, Managing Director at Hikma Ventures, said, “This is the latest example of Hikma Ventures' commitment to supporting pioneering companies utilizing cutting-edge technologies to meaningfully improve patients' lives and treatment journeys and solidifies Hikma’s role in introducing new tools and solutions to patients and hospitals in the MENA region.” Activ Surgical is transforming the operating room today through its 510(k)-cleared and CE-marked ActivSight device that seamlessly upgrades existing operating room equipment while serving as the “eyes” of their cutting-edge platform. With ActivSight, surgeons can now access critical intraoperative visual data as augmented reality overlays. To date, multiple major hospital networks across the U.S. have purchased ActivSight, and many additional customer sites are planned for 2024. About Activ Surgical Activ Surgical is the pioneering digital surgery company that completed the world’s first autonomous robotic surgery of soft tissue in 2018. The company aims to transform the collective surgical experience by leveraging emerging technologies and data into insights that make world-class surgery accessible for all, and for every surgical imaging system to deliver intelligent information that reduces surgical complication rates, ushering in a new standard of patient care and safety. Activ Surgical is privately held, and backed by Cota Capital, BAM Funds, Hikma Ventures, Mint Ventures, Castor Ventures, Dream One Vision, NVIDIA, DNS Capital, GreatPoint Ventures (GPV), Artis Ventures, Tao Capital Partners, LRVHealth, Rising Tide VC, SONY Innovation Fund, 8VC, Fiscus Ventures, Peak 6 and Reimagined Ventures. Learn more at activsurgical.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter). About Hikma (LSE: HIK) (NASDAQ Dubai: HIK) (OTC: HKMPY) (rated BBB-/stable S&P and BBB-/positive Fitch) Hikma helps put better health within reach every day for millions of people around the world. For more than 40 years, we've been creating high-quality medicines and making them accessible to the people who need them. Headquartered in the UK, we are a global company with a local presence across the United States (US), the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Europe, and we use our unique insight and expertise to transform cutting-edge science into innovative solutions that transform people's lives. We're committed to our customers, and the people they care for, and by thinking creatively and acting practically, we provide them with a broad range of branded and non-branded generic medicines. Together, our 8,800 colleagues are helping to shape a healthier world that enriches all our communities. We are a leading licensing partner, and through our venture capital arm, are helping bring innovative health technologies to people around the world. For more information, please visit: About Hikma Ventures Founded in August 2015, Hikma Ventures operates as the corporate venture capital arm of Hikma Pharmaceuticals. Hikma Ventures invests in global start-ups where Hikma's expertise can accelerate revenue growth and enhance value creation by providing ventures with access to the resources of a multinational pharmaceutical company. For more information, please visit . About Abdali Hospital Abdali Hospital is a 200-bed multi-specialty hospital with the mission to provide best practice patient-centered care and promote research and education. Abdali Hospital was founded by the investment group behind the Clemenceau Medical Center in Beirut, affiliated with Johns Hopkins Medicine International. Our goal is to improve the health of the community locally and internationally, by setting a new standard of excellence in medicine, providing inclusive medical care to prevent, diagnose, manage and treat health problems. For more information, please visit .

The clinical study, conducted at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, demonstrated that the advanced visualization information from ActivSight impacted intraoperative surgical decision-making in 17.5% of minimally invasive left-sided colorectal cases. BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Activ Surgical, a digital surgery pioneer, presented findings today at The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) Annual Scientific Meeting from a clinical study conducted at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center using the ActivPerfusion™ and ActivICG™ modes within its FDA cleared product, ActivSight™ Intelligent Light (ActivSight). The purpose of the study was to investigate the clinical utility of real-time laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) and perfusion quantification in comparison to Indocyanine Green (ICG) in minimally invasive left-sided colorectal surgery. LSCI provides real-time tissue perfusion information by measuring coherent laser light scatter from moving red blood cells. Results of the study, presented by Garrett Skinner, MD, lead author, surgical resident, and Surgeon Innovator-in-Residence at Activ Surgical, indicate that in 17.5% of cases surgeons changed an intraoperative decision based on additional information provided by ActivSight’s advanced visualization. For cases where a decision was changed, the average discordance between the line of demarcation (LOD) in white light imaging and LSCI was 3.7cm. The ICG and LSCI line of demarcation was concordant in 95% of cases. “These findings are significant and demonstrate that by using LSCI technology in ActivPerfusion Mode, surgeons were able to assess more precisely and accurately during surgery which regions of resected and/or remaining bowel are well perfused” said Peter Kim, MD, PhD, Founder and Chief Scientific and Medical Officer at Activ Surgical. “More informed real-time decision during surgery using intelligent visualization technology means potentially fewer complications and tissue injuries promising better clinical outcomes.” In the study titled, “Clinical Utility of Laser Speckle Contrast Imaging (LSCI) and Real-Time Quantification of Bowel Perfusion and Comparison to Indocyanine Green (ICG) in Forty Consecutive Minimally Invasive Left-Sided Colorectal Resections,” Dr. Huang and her co-authors from OSU also found that ActivSight’s perfusion visualization was comparable to that of ICG, with the added benefit of repeatable, precise, dye-less assessment. “ActivSight is valuable in my surgical practice because it provides dye-free, real-time tissue perfusion information at critical surgical decision points,” said Emily Huang, MD, Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. ActivSight is an imaging module that provides enhanced visualization and real-time, on-demand surgical insights in the operating room, all in a laparoscopic form factor. “We are energized to see the momentum building across the colorectal field. The results from this prestigious group further validate the value of ActivSight for surgeons to see more and subsequently make more informed decisions,” said Manisha Shah-Bugaj, Chief Executive Officer at Activ Surgical. “Less dissection and removal of tissue can improve patient safety and may lead to better surgical outcomes.” About Activ Surgical Activ Surgical is the pioneering digital surgery company that completed the world’s first autonomous robotic surgery of soft tissue in 2018. The company aims to transform the collective surgical experience by leveraging emerging technologies and data into insights that make world-class surgery accessible for all, and for every surgical imaging system to deliver intelligent information that reduces surgical complication rates, ushering in a new standard of patient care and safety. Activ Surgical is privately held, and backed by Cota Capital, BAM Funds, Hikma Ventures, Mint Ventures, Castor Ventures, Dream One Vision, NVIDIA, DNS Capital, GreatPoint Ventures (GPV), Artis Ventures, Tao Capital Partners, LRVHealth, Rising Tide VC, SONY Innovation Fund, 8VC, Fiscus Ventures, Peak 6 and Reimagined Ventures. Learn more at activsurgical.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Whether it’s OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Microsoft’s new Bing or Google’s Bard, 2023 is the year when generative artificial intelligence entered the popular consciousness. In the medtech space, it seems as though every company is seeking ways to incorporate some form of AI into the digital features of their products and services. So what is artificial intelligence good at when it comes to advancing medtech and healthcare in general? Here are seven recent examples: 1. Helping physicians identify medical problems quickly Interest is growing in artificial intelligence that can help radiologists, gastroenterologists and others better spot potential diseases in the countless images they examine each day. For example, GI Genius is an AI-assisted colonoscopy tool designed to help detect polyps that may lead to colorectal cancer. Medtronic is the exclusive worldwide distributor of the technology, which was developed and manufactured by Cosmo Pharmaceuticals. Giovanni Di Napoli, president of the Gastrointestinal business at Medtronic, showed GI Genius video at our DeviceTalks West event in Santa Clara, California, this past October. He described how there’s a decrease in lesion detection from morning through the afternoon when it comes to getting a colonoscopy. GI Genius’ AI-based enhancements change the game by placing green boxes around areas that may need extra scrutiny during the diagnostic imaging procedure, helping physicians stay focused. GI Genius could be set to get even better. Medtronic has partnered with Nvidia to enhance the tool’s AI capabilities, allowing third-party developers to train and validate their AI models using the GI Genius AI Access platform. This technology has the potential to improve patient outcomes and reduce medical variability, while transforming the way healthcare approaches the early detection of colorectal cancer. In other recent news, Viz.ai secured FDA clearance for its artificial intelligence-powered algorithm designed to detect and triage care for suspected abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). The Viz.ai system automatically analyzes computed tomography angiography (CTA) scans for suspected AAAs. It alerts clinicians, displaying patient scans on their mobile devices for real-time communication among specialists. Jayme Strauss, chief clinical officer at Viz.ai, thinks Viz AAA will enable care teams to prevent catastrophic aortic emergencies, such as aortic rupture, by increasing surveillance. Viz.ai plans to continue expanding its healthcare offerings. 2. Enabling better and more discreet health monitoring It is hard these days to find a digital health or health monitoring company that is not talking about incorporating artificial intelligence into its offerings. AI has the potential to enable more discreet sensor arrays. The result is that doctors and patients can gain insights from the monitoring with minimal hassle. For example, Sensydia has completed enrollment in its 225-subject development study for its AI-powered Cardiac Performance System (CPS). The Los Angeles–based company has designed the AI-based, non-invasive CPS to use heart sound analysis. It may enable earlier detection and improved therapy guidance for heart failure and pulmonary hypertension patients. The CPS uses ultra-sensitive biosensors for the rapid, non-invasive measurement of a number of cardiac metrics, such as ejection fraction, cardiac output, pulmonary artery pressure, and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure. Normally, patients need echocardiography and invasive catheterization to obtain these measurements, according to the company. Meanwhile, Biofourmis (Boston) has AI-driven software to collect and analyze patient data in real-time to identify shifts that require proactive interventions. It has a partnership with the Japanese pharma giant Chugai to objectively measure pain in women with endometriosis. Their strategy is to use a biosensor and an AI-based algorithm utilizing Biofourmis’ Biovitals. 3. AI-enabled prosthetics Advanced AI algorithms hold promise to better enable people to use myoelectric control — involving discreet electric signals from their muscles — to control robotic prosthetics. For example, Ottobock has its Myo Plus pattern recognition system for trans-radial users. Myo Plus is meant to allow the system to adjust to natural movements versus requiring the user to adapt to the system. 4. Better visualization during surgery Activ Surgical announced in January that it completed the first AI-enabled surgery using its ActivSight Intelligent Light product. Designed to provide enhanced visualization and real-time, on-demand surgical insights in the operating room, the ActivSight model attaches to laparoscopic and robotic systems and integrates with standard monitors. The first AI-enabled ActivSight surgery took place on Dec. 22, 2022, at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Dr. Matthew Kalady performed a laparoscopic left colectomy using the colorectal AI mode within ActivSight. The company says its goal is for every surgical imaging system to deliver intelligent information, reducing surgical complication rates. “While using one of ActivSight’s intraoperative visual overlays, the dye-free ActivPerfusion Mode, I was able to clearly see key critical structures in the surgical site and tissue perfusion in real-time,” Kalady said in a news release. “With the press of a button, the colorectal AI mode was enabled, removing distractions of background signals from non-bowel tissue and clearly focusing on perfusion to the colon. There was a clear difference in visualization during AI mode.” 5. Improved data collection from medical settings Artificial intelligence could help with surgical data collection. A case in point is Proprio, which is rolling its AI-powered surgical navigation system into operating rooms to collect data. The idea is that the data will ultimately help surgeons improve how they perform procedures. The Seattle-based startup said it has placed its Paradigm system in several U.S. operating rooms to capture surgical data that will be useful for accelerating the system’s development. 6. Making better sense of patient data GE HealthCare last year unveiled its Edison Digital Health Platform, an AI-powered vendor-agnostic hosting and data aggregation platform. The medtech giant said the aim of the platform is to enable the easy deployment of clinical, workflow, analytics, and AI tools, connecting devices and other data sources into an aggregated clinical data layer. The open and published interfaces on Edison support the integration of healthcare providers and third-party developers’ applications into existing workflows. GE HealthCare had plans to integrate and deploy its own apps onto the platform. A company official said the goal was for clinicians to have actionable insights at their fingertips to help better serve their patients. 7. The ability to crack tough scientific problems — and enable countless innovations DeepMind, which has the same parent company as Google, has an artificial intelligence system called AlphaFold that cracked an extremely difficult scientific problem. It predicted the structure of more than 200 million proteins, which represent almost every known cataloged protein. AlphaFold and the European Bioinformatics Institute have expanded the database by more than 200-fold to over 200 million structures. As our fellow WTWH Media site Drug Discovery & Development reported last year , AlphaFold is capable of making it possible to search for the 3D structure of proteins almost as easily as doing a keyword Google search. It has also made the data freely available to users for any purpose. Applications of the AI system include accelerating the discovery of drugs for neglected diseases, combating antibiotic resistance, studying the nuclear pore complex, developing a novel malaria vaccine, shedding light on genetic variation, gauging the impact of rotavirus on gastroenteritis, and contributing to drug development for cancer and neurological disease.