Most countries across the world would like to improve their ability to diagnose medical conditions.
With medical negligence cases in the UK, USA, Pakistan and the rest of the world still hitting significantly high numbers, tech giants and MedTech companies have stepped in to help develop the world’s current diagnostic technology.
But which tech companies are emerging as the leaders of this innovation? In this post, we’re going to list the most influential companies in the healthcare diagnostic sector and detail exactly why they made this list.
Which Tech Companies Are Revolutionising the Healthcare Diagnostics Industry?
Improving healthcare diagnostics allows us to better identify the health conditions of patients and potentially save their lives. So, which companies have taken up this mantle and what are they doing to revolutionise the diagnostic industry?
Never one to shy away from technological innovation, Google has used its understanding of artificial intelligence to make advances in the life sciences landscape. The company is using the knowledge of DeepMind, an AI technology firm they acquired in 2014, to diagnose medical conditions more accurately.
DeepMind is already showing progress in this field after partnering with London’s Royal Free Hospital to develop a monitoring software called Streams. This app can quickly scan test results for serious conditions and send an alert to the relevant doctor.
Since they started using Streams, NHS Nurses reported that they’ve saved up to two hours per day diagnosing conditions and it has allowed them to treat people with serious conditions more quickly.
But Google doesn’t want to stop there. Their next venture will be using computer vision to identify and diagnose disease from medical images with human-like accuracy.
Samsung
Google aren’t the only company looking to revolutionise the healthcare diagnostic sector as Samsung, the South Korean technology giant, is making its own waves with deep learning technology.
As far back as 2016, Samsung introduced the diagnostic ultrasound imaging device Crystal Vue, which uses advanced 3D volume-rendering technology to help physicians more clearly identify issues with a foetus/uterus during pregnancy.
Since then, this device has received a portability upgrade that allows medical professionals to carry it around with them. What’s more, Samsung developed the IB10, an in-vitro diagnostic device that can transfer blood test results from the ambulance to the hospital whilst the patient is still in transit.
IBM
You can’t have one tech giant getting involved in healthcare diagnostics without them all getting involved, and IBM has made sure they’re not left behind.
Using a mixture of AI, machine learning, natural language processing, and narrative generation, IBM has managed to create a chip that can diagnose life-threatening conditions faster than any other lab test. Its advanced system can even tell whether a patient has a mental illness based on the words they use.
This technology, along with the others mentioned so far in this post, is revolutionising the healthcare diagnostic industry in Pakistan, the UK and across the world.
Babylon
Over in the UK, Unicorn start-up Babylon has been utilising artificial intelligence diagnostic software to provide healthcare services. The ‘Ask Babylon’ feature of their app allows users to enter their symptoms and receive relevant information on the next steps to take.
Due to the enormous number of data samples uploaded to Babylon by doctors and scientists, this company’s software can replicate a doctor’s brain and turn symptoms into diagnoses.
Users are also able to talk with doctors through the app’s video chat and receive prescriptions from them electronically. More recently, Babylon Health launched its ‘COVID-19 Care Assistant’ which helps individuals identify if they’re at risk from COVID-19.
F. Hoffmann-La Roche
The Swiss multinational healthcare firm F. Hoffman-La Roche, often referred to as ‘Roche’ for short, are pushing the envelope with their healthcare diagnostic technologies.
The company’s in-vitro diagnostics cover a multitude of areas including immunoassays, clinical chemistry, point-of-care testing, digital diagnostics, patient self-testing and next-generation sequencing; all supported by its highly rated Cobas platform.
On top of this, Roche was also one of the first companies given the authorisation to sell a COVID-19 diagnostic to the US and Europe, receiving FDA approval and CE certification in March 2020.
LumiraDx
LumiraDx is a company that provide accessible, simple diagnostic solutions. Their LumiraDx platform is a diagnostic system that uses a test strip for remote management and data sharing.
It’s designed on the same principles as lab analyser systems but it’s more cost-effective and efficient than traditional lab analysers. This technology has been implemented across a range of practices in the UK, US, Pakistan and elsewhere in the world.
For example, Beacon Primary Care in the UK recently used the Lumira Dx platform to test a patient’s blood via drive-throughs, reducing the risk of patients being exposed to COVID-19.
Emeds.pk
In Pakistan, fake medicines are a huge issue and innovation in that sector is needed before their growing med-tech companies can focus on improving diagnostics.
Thankfully, companies like Emeds.pk are revolutionising the way Pakistani prescriptions are being provided. Emeds.pk allows you to order a prescription from qualified and medical pharmaceutical experts with the click of a few buttons.
The company’s COO Faizan Sajid, said of the technology: “The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the already fragile health sector of Pakistan and has highlighted the need for technology in the industry.
“Having worked with VMI on health-tech projects in the UK it became imperative for us to bring a system to Pakistan that we feel will make healthcare accessible to the masses. We feel that the confidence is shown by VMI in us, and our industry can be a stepping-stone for improving our healthcare system.”
With this problem in hand, Pakistani med tech companies will likely be able to move into the growing field of healthcare diagnostics.
Are These the Only Tech Companies Getting Involved in Healthcare Diagnostics?
In this post, we’ve shared the most influential tech companies in healthcare diagnostics and given some insight into what their innovations look like.
There are hundreds of tech companies out there getting more and more involved in the healthcare industry, but not all of them are pushing the technology to its limits. The companies we shared above are the ones testing the boundaries right now, but this could all change in the future.
Please be advised that this article is for general informational purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for advice from a trained medical professional. Be sure to consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you’re seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment. We are not liable for risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information on this site.