January 20, 2021 – AI/ML Innovations Inc. (CNSX:AIML.CN) (OTC:FIRZF), a company focused on acquiring and furthering Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning technologies that address urgent societal needs, announces that its subsidiary, Health Gauge, successfully displayed its proof-of-concept deployment in a study funded by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, further validating its technology. Health Gauge was invited in 2019 to participate, as the sole technology provider, in a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funded initiative with ICDDR,B (the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research of Bangladesh) on a research project to study ways to reduce pregnancy complications and mortality, by making healthcare more accessible using wearable solutions. Health Gauge was invited to participate in this study as a result of ICDDR,B’s learning of Health Gauge’s break-through solution in digital pulse and ECG analysis, using simple, affordable, and quality digital signal capture. For this study, Health Gauge’s personal health monitoring solution, including its wearable device, smart phone app, and AI-driven cloud processing platform was used, in conjunction with the support of community-based health service providers.
Conclusion
Studies such as this validate the proof-of-concept of Health Gauge’s products, and show the vast and varied commercial opportunities available within Health Gauge’s bespoke business model. It speaks to the merits and importance of how Health Gauge’s latest generation solutions can help solve important community health problems, in affordable ways, while readily fitting into existing managed care programs – anywhere. Physicians, other healthcare professionals, and individuals can apply and adapt the Health Gauge solution to a number of different health conditions and settings for personal health monitoring and management – showing the larger value of Health Gauge’s device and applications.
Blood pressure related pregnancy maladies are of concern globally, and a leading cause of death amongst pregnant women. Health Gauge’s products have both the ability and opportunity to capitalize on this critical women’s health issue, while providing an invaluable service that has a direct impact on health outcomes.
Background
The study, which commenced in 2019, focused on serving pregnant women who were at risk of developing eclampsia, a hypertension-related significant health risk. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are extremely dangerous to both the mother and child, and are in fact one of the three leading causes of maternal death worldwide. While hypertension complicates 10% of all pregnancies and is responsible for 14% for all maternal deaths globally, in the developing world it is of even greater concern where mortality rates can be as high as 20%.
The project goal was to study how personal health monitoring technology, such as Health Gauge’s wrist-worn, continuous self-monitoring blood pressure measuring device, could be applied in helping pregnant women receive immediate and actionable data, resulting in more timely diagnosis and referral in pregnancy-induced hypertension, allowing for timely medical intervention thereby reducing its adverse consequences such as eclampsia. The study generated a total blood pressure profile of high-risk pregnancies along with heart rate, oxygen saturation and a daily activity profile from 20 weeks of pregnancy until 6 weeks after childbirth, by way of the Health Gauge technology.
Phase 1 Study Conclusions
The Phase 1 study results clearly showed that Health Gauge’s AI-driven software for blood pressure estimation helped women better monitor their heart health, and validated the applicability of the use of Health Gauge’s technology for helping better identify women at risk of developing eclampsia, with the core objective to materially reduce risk of mortality.
Additionally, Phase 1 of the project showed how, even in rural areas where digital networks may not exist, Health Gauge’s wearable devices are still able to aggregate the required data, with the care provider then collecting the data weekly from the patient, and bringing it back to zones where it could be accessed by Health Gauge’s cloud- infrastructure.
Finally, this study demonstrated the configurability of the Health Gauge Solution, and its ability to be seamlessly integrated into a defined health care plan, giving support to the existing workflow of healthcare professionals.
Phase 2 Study Plans
Prior to the CV-19 pandemic, plans were in the works to initiate the second phase of this study focusing on second generation Health Gauge devices and mobile application, in partnership with the Gates Foundation once again. As a result of CV-19, the project is in a holding pattern, with Health Gauge focusing its attention on commercialization opportunities for its products across North American markets. Health Gauge is ready to reinitiate its part in the study once conditions are conducive to doing so, and remains fully committed to providing tech driven solutions to health-related problems impacting millions around the world.
Tim Daniels, the Chairman of AI/ML Innovations stated, “We are delighted Health Gauge was chosen to collaborate with a significant nonprofit organization such as the Gates Foundation. Health Gauge’s study had significant impact in early identification of high risks such as eclampsia in developing countries. We look forward to continuing phase 2 of the study as circumstances allow. Meanwhile, we plan to capitalize on what we have learned from this study in our current commercialization plans of our platform and wearables, which will be detailed over the upcoming weeks and months”.
On behalf of the Board of Directors
Tim Daniels, Chairman