AI vs. Embryologists in IVF: Who Picks the Better Embryo?

FEATURED RESEARCH

AI vs. Embryologists in IVF: Who Picks the Better Embryo?

In the complex world of in vitro fertilization (IVF), picking the best embryo is a high-stakes decision.

Traditionally, embryologists rely on their trained eye, but AI is promising to make the process faster and more consistent.

This intriguing research sought to determine if AI could match—or even surpass—human experts in this delicate task.

The AI experiment: A recent trial pitted the AI tool iDAScore against the traditional method of embryo selection by expert embryologists.

Conducted across 14 clinics in Australia and Europe, the study involved over 1,000 women under 42.

The big question: Could AI pick a winning embryo as well as a human?

Who won? The results were close. AI-selected embryos resulted in a 46.5% pregnancy rate, just behind the 48.2% success rate of human-selected embryos.

The AI wasn’t better, but it wasn’t much worse either—and it did the job about ten times faster.

Final thoughts: While AI didn’t outshine human expertise, it showed potential to make IVF more efficient. It might not replace embryologists just yet, but it’s certainly a promising tool.

If AI can help us choose the best embryo, maybe it’s not just teaching us about technology, but about how to better trust the decisions we make in life—where data and gut instinct collide.

For more details: Full Article

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BREAST CANCER

PreciseDx Lands $20.7M to Boost AI-Powered Breast Cancer Testing

Cancer diagnostics startup PreciseDx has raised $20.7 million in Series B funding to push its AI-driven breast cancer risk assessment tool, PreciseBreast, closer to market.

Backed by Eventide Asset Management, Labcorp, Quest Diagnostics, and others, this brings the company’s total funding to $31.5 million.

Advancing cancer diagnostics with AI: Born out of Mount Sinai, PreciseDx uses AI to analyze biopsy tissue, identifying key features that predict breast cancer risk.

Unlike traditional methods, this tool works independently of HER2 and hormone receptor status, offering a more detailed and personalized risk assessment.

With millions of data points at its disposal, PreciseBreast aims to refine diagnoses, reduce unnecessary treatments, and improve patient outcomes.

Recent successes include key validation studies and new partnerships with major healthcare institutions.

What’s next: This latest funding will help PreciseDx ramp up clinical trials and bring PreciseBreast to more clinics.

The potential here is huge—PreciseDx’s AI could soon be the key to more personalized breast cancer care, offering patients a clearer understanding of their risks.

For more details: Full Press Release

💰 3 Other funded companies

1. Clarium secured $10.5 million to enhance its AI-driven hospital supply chain platform, Astra OS, which helps healthcare providers cut costs and improve efficiency by automating supply chain processes. [Link] 

2. Reliant AI just came out of stealth mode with $11.3 million in funding to shake up life science data analysis using AI, aiming to make the whole process faster and way more accurate. [Link]

3. Consensus raised $115 million to expand its AI-powered research engine, which helps users quickly find and interpret scientific papers, aiming to streamline access to reliable academic information. [Link]

New Partnerships

NEUROSCIENCE

Firefly Neuroscience Partners with Neurology Consultants of Dallas to Enhance Cognitive Disorder Care

Firefly Neuroscience has partnered with Neurology Consultants of Dallas (NCD) to enhance the early detection and management of cognitive disorders.

NCD will integrate Firefly’s Brain Network Analytics (BNA) technology into its patient care routines, aiming to provide better insights into brain health and improve patient outcomes.

AI-driven cognitive insights: Firefly’s BNA technology uses AI to analyze brain activity, offering a clearer picture of cognitive health.

By incorporating this tool, NCD hopes to track cognitive changes more accurately, helping catch conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease earlier and tailor treatments more effectively.

Why it matters: This partnership highlights NCD’s commitment to cutting-edge care. With Firefly’s AI tech, they can establish a cognitive baseline for each patient, making monitoring changes and intervening sooner easier.

Dr. Puneet Gupta of NCD notes that this will lead to a more comprehensive understanding of brain health, especially in managing dementia.

With Firefly’s AI and NCD’s expertise, we’re looking at a future where cognitive decline could be managed long before it becomes a crisis.

For more details: Full Press Release

Milestone Moments

⚡3 Product launches, 1 acquisition, 1 regulatory approval

1. Google's HeAR AI model analyzes cough sounds to detect diseases like TB and COPD, with applications in India aiming to make health screening more accessible via smartphone mics. [Link]

2. Singapore's National Healthcare Group is piloting Lunit's AI tool for lung and heart disease screening via chest X-rays, aiming to boost diagnostic efficiency and reduce patient wait times across its polyclinics. [Link]

3. Navenio's new AI Smart Tasking tool automates task assignments in hospitals, cutting task completion times by 62% and helping reduce patient backlogs in key departments like A&E and radiology. [Link]

4. Ventripoint secured a Medical Device License in Canada for its AI-powered VMS+4.0 heart-scanning tech, enabling precise cardiac analysis even for patients with pacemakers who can't use MRIs, expanding their market reach. [Link]

5. Revenio Group's Icare Finland acquired Thirona Retina to expand its AI-driven RetCAD™ eye screening technology globally, enhancing the diagnosis of conditions like diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. [Link]

Opinion and Perspectives

AI IN HEALTHCARE

Americans Warming Up to AI in Healthcare

A new survey from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center shows most Americans are comfortable with artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare.

The survey of 1,006 people found that 75% believe AI can reduce human errors, and 71% appreciate AI's potential to cut down wait times.

AI in action at Ohio State: Ohio State is already testing this out with the Microsoft Dragon Ambient eXperience (DAX) Copilot.

This AI tool listens to doctor-patient conversations and drafts clinical notes, saving up to four minutes per visit.

Dr. Harrison Jackson, an internist, reports that this technology has improved patient interactions, allowing for more eye contact and meaningful conversations.

Balancing benefits with concerns: While 56% of Americans find AI in healthcare a bit unsettling and 70% worry about data privacy, the results from Ohio State’s pilot program are promising.

With AI freeing up doctors’ time, patient satisfaction is on the rise.

It’s funny how we fear AI taking over, yet here it’s giving doctors more time to actually look us in the eyes. Maybe the future of healthcare isn’t about robots, but about reconnecting us as humans.

For more details: Full Article

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Instead of throwing spears, early humans may have used a clever trick by planting their spears in the ground to let charging animals, like mammoths, run into them. This way, the animal's own momentum drove the spear deeper, making the hunt a bit easier (and safer) for our ancestors.

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