Early detection of heart failure receives significant boost with Ultromics securing a $55M investment for scaled expansion.
Ultromics Achieves Major Milestones in AI-Driven Cardiology Diagnostics
Ultromics, a UK-based health technology company specialising in AI-driven echocardiography analysis, has made significant strides in the field of cardiology diagnostics. The company has recently secured FDA Breakthrough Device clearance for EchoGo Amyloidosis in late 2024, and its flagship product, EchoGo Heart Failure, is now fully reimbursed under the USA's Medicare program.
Founded in 2017, Ultromics has raised $55 million through its Series C funding round, with participation from major US health systems such as University of Chicago Medicine and UPMC Enterprises, as well as venture capital firms like L&G, Allegis Capital, Lightrock, Oxford Science Enterprises, GV, Blue Venture Fund, and Oxford University.
EchoGo Heart Failure uses advanced artificial intelligence to interpret echocardiogram scans and assist in diagnosing and managing Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF), a complex heart failure phenotype that is traditionally challenging to identify accurately. The technology has achieved significant regulatory milestones, including a Category III CPT reimbursement code granted by the American Medical Association (AMA) and New Technology Add-On Payment (NTAP) approval from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Ultromics' AI system has been trained on large-scale echocardiographic datasets to improve diagnostic precision, enabling earlier and more reliable detection of cardiac amyloidosis—a condition characterised by abnormal protein deposits in heart tissue. The company's commitment to rigorous clinical research and regulatory compliance is evident in its partnerships, such as with Pfizer for further validation and FDA clearance of amyloidosis detection algorithms.
The broader field of AI in cardiology is expanding rapidly, with the market expected to exceed $10 billion by 2029. Ultromics' innovations are representative of this trend, marking a breakthrough in applying AI to traditional echocardiography. The company's technology is used in its EchoGo platform to extract hidden disease signals from standard echocardiograms, enabling earlier, more accurate detection of complex heart conditions.
In clinical studies, EchoGo has improved the detection of HFpEF by 73.6% when compared with standard clinical risk scores. Up to 64% of HFpEF cases go undiagnosed, and cardiac amyloidosis is frequently mistaken for more common forms of heart disease. The launch of EchoGo Score, a new feature that adds AI-driven probability scoring to EchoGo Heart Failure, further enhances the system's ability to detect these conditions.
Victor Westerlind, Managing Director at Allegis Capital, stated that Ultromics is closing a long-standing blind spot in cardiology by making it easier for physicians to identify high-risk patients earlier. The company's technology is also being deployed to bring cardiac diagnostics to underserved communities, including in Florida.
With FDA clearance and Medicare reimbursement, Ultromics offers the first AI technology to help clinicians detect HFpEF and cardiac amyloidosis, potentially improving patient outcomes and making a significant impact on the field of cardiology.
Additional Information
- Nanox has received CE mark for AI-powered spine assessment software.
- The Institute of Tissue Medicine of the University of Bern has deployed digital pathology for diagnostics in the cloud with AWS.
- Cardiac diagnostics have been brought to underserved Florida communities with AI.
- The rapid expansion in AI in cardiology is exemplified by Ultromics, a UK-based health technology company, whose innovations in echocardiography analysis have the potential to exceed $10 billion by 2029.
- Digital health, notably in the field of cardiology, is playing an increasingly significant role in health and wellness, as demonstrated by Ultromomics' AI-driven technology, helping clinicians detect complex heart conditions earlier and more accurately, particularly in high-risk patients.
- Health-and-wellness solutions, such as those offered by Ultromics through their EchoGo platform, utilize data and cloud computing to extract hidden disease signals from standard echocardiograms, thereby improving detection rates and enabling earlier and more reliable identification of cardiovascular-health conditions like heart failure and cardiac amyloidosis.
- Beyond cardiology, artificial intelligence is making an impact in various medical-conditions diagnostics, as shown by Nanox's AI-powered spine assessment software and the Institute of Tissue Medicine of the University of Bern's deployment of digital pathology for diagnostics in the cloud with AWS, in an effort to bring innovative, AI-driven healthcare solutions to underserved communities in Florida and beyond.
