Two French startups, Gleamer SAS and Azmed SAS, received clearance from the U.S. FDA for their AI-powered tools for chest X-rays. They join an increasing number of companies developing software tools to help clinicians detect a range of abnormalities on images, enhancing diagnostic accuracy, reducing delays and improving patient outcomes.

The use of an AI tool could speed up the time it takes to do pregnancy scans by almost half and it is still able to identify any abnormalities in the fetus, researchers found. Results from a study showed the AI tool used to assist with 20-week pregnancy scans reduced the scan length by more than 40% and still maintained the same accuracy and reliability of diagnoses.

Digital therapeutics coupled with drugs has the potential to transform health care and change the way patients are treated, Anthony Costello, CEO of Medidata Solutions Inc., told BioWorld. Medidata recently strengthened its partnership with Click Therapeutics Inc., following an investment from its parent company Dassault Systèmes SE, which will see the two companies working to develop new therapies to improve the experience of patients.

Scientists in the U.K. have developed a new meta-material, dubbed Roliner, to improve the fitting of wearable devices made from hard materials, such as prosthetic limbs.

Elypta AB’s urine-based test correctly identified 90% of patients whose kidney cancer had returned, according to results from an ongoing study. The company’s metabolism-based liquid biopsy platform, which measures glycosaminoglycan biomarkers to detect cancer-specific signatures and uses algorithms to deliver clinically useful scores, could transform the lives of patients with kidney cancer.

Biomérieux SA recently received U.S. FDA 510(k) clearance for its Vitek Compact Pro, a system for microorganism identification and Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing. The company hopes that the system will help clinical laboratories combat antimicrobial resistance and diagnose infectious diseases as well as support industrial laboratories in identifying contaminants to ensure consumer safety.

Roche Holding AG and the University of Liverpool in the U.K. launched an initiative to improve the early detection of rare eye cancers with the help of the Ventana DP 600 digital pathology slide scanner.

Vicentra BV aims to make its Kaleido 2 insulin patch pump and automated insulin delivery system even smaller than its current device, already amongst the smallest, lightest and most precise insulin device on the market, new CEO Tom Arnold told BioWorld. As the company works to meet growing demand for its product, Kaleido has the potential to transform diabetes care, he said.

Brainomix Ltd. raised £14 million ($18 million) in a series C financing round to expand its AI-powered imaging solution, Brainomix 360 Stroke, into the U.S. market. Funds will also go towards advancing the Brainomix 360 E-Lung, which can accurately predict the progression of lung fibrosis. “This series C round is a vital fundraise for us,” Michalis Papadakis, CEO and co-founder of Brainomix, told BioWorld. “We are in a growth stage where we want to bring this next generation of stroke AI into the U.S. market.”

Brain.space Ltd. raised $11 million in a series A funding round for its technologies which uses brain data and AI to understand and predict human behavior. The round was led by Toyota Ventures, with significant participation from Mangrove Capital Partners and The Group Ventures. The funding included a $3.5 million non-dilutive grant from the Israel Innovation Authority.