Patent Awarded to HeartSciences for AI-Enabled ECG Assessment

Heart Test Laboratories Inc. d/b/a HeartSciences, has been granted a U.S. patent for using artificial intelligence to improve echocardiographic (ECG) measures of diastolic heart function. 

“We are committed to patent and intellectual property protection related to our research and development efforts focused on expanding ECG clinical capabilities,” Chief Operating Officer Mark Hilz said. “We believe patent and IP protection is essential, while pursuing novel advancements for ECGs, and are proud to be awarded this valuable patent by the U.S. PTO.”
 
Diastolic dysfunction (impaired cardiac relaxation) is an important indicator of overall heart health, as it is impaired by all of the common pathological processes of heart disease and is a sensitive indicator of cardiovascular dysfunction. Diastolic dysfunction is recognized as one of the earliest signs of heart disease and typical onset occurs when a patient is still asymptomatic.

Today, diastolic heart function must be assessed in a specialist cardiology environment typically using echocardiography-based imaging. Historically, ECGs have had limited, if any, role in the evaluation of cardiac dysfunction and, therefore, the ability to assess cardiac diastolic function using an ECG would make it a far more valuable cardiac screening tool particularly in frontline or point-of-care clinical settings. 

“A growing body of published ECG research demonstrates that ECGs can have far greater clinical value and the grant of this patent reinforces our belief the HeartSciences is positioned at the forefront of what is expected to be a new era for ECGs,” CEO Andrew Simpson noted. “This latest patent is an important extension of our IP portfolio, providing significant prospective value for the company.” 
 
HeartSciences’ first device, the MyoVista Wavelet ECG (wavECG) leverages AI machine learning to detect cardiac dysfunction that cannot be diagnosed by current conventional ECGs. Its first algorithm is designed to provide diagnostic information related to impaired cardiac relaxation associated with diastolic dysfunction as well as all conventional ECG information in a single test.
 
“The ECG is a ubiquitous, relatively low-cost, simple and quick test that can be performed in a wide range of clinical settings by a non-specialist clinician or clinical aide,” Simpson said. “One of the most significant needs in healthcare is the ability to detect cardiac dysfunction early. Adding diagnostic information related to cardiac dysfunction to an ECG would not only make it a far more valuable cardiac screening tool, but also addresses a significant unmet need in the market with an estimated 100 million plus ECG tests performed annually in the USA alone.”
   
The company to date has been granted eight U.S. patents (including its most recent), bringing the firm’s total global granted patents to 18. HeartSciences has also received allowances of further applications by the European Patent Office and Israel with several additional pending patent applications in multiple international jurisdictions including Brazil, Canada, India, South Korea, Mexico, and the United Arab Emirates.
 
HeartSciences is medical technology company focused on applying AI-based technology to an ECG (also known as an EKG) to expand and improve an ECG’s clinical usefulness. The company aims to make an ECG a far more valuable cardiac screening tool, particularly in frontline or point-of-care clinical settings. HeartSciences’ first product candidate for U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearance, the MyoVista wavECG, or the MyoVista, is a resting 12-lead ECG that is also designed to provide diagnostic information related to cardiac dysfunction that traditionally has only been available through cardiac imaging. The MyoVista also provides conventional ECG information in the same test. The business model, which involves the use of the MyoVista device and consumables for each test, is expected to be “razor-razorblade” as the electrodes used with the MyoVista are proprietary to HeartSciences, and new electrodes are required for every test performed.