Striving to Empower Physicians as Super-Physicians
AISAP, a leader in point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) technology, offers a groundbreaking solution that enables physicians to diagnose diseases in real-time using artificial intelligence. After receiving FDA approval last summer, the company has seen growing interest both domestically and internationally.
Heart disease remains one of the leading causes of illness and death in Israel and worldwide. According to a 2021 Ministry of Health report, heart disease is the second leading cause of death in Israel, following cancer, with approximately 17% of deaths in 2011 attributed to it. In early 2022, a team of entrepreneurs from Israel's elite 8200 intelligence unit, led by CEO Adiel Am-Shalom and Moshe Shami, partnered with senior physicians, including Prof. Ehud Raanani (Director of the Heart, Chest, and Vascular Center at Sheba Medical Center), Prof. Robert Klempner (Director of the Heart Disease Prevention and Rehabilitation Institute at Sheba), Prof. Elad Maor (Director of the Heart Failure Institute at Sheba), and Prof. Ehud Schwammenthal (Cardiologist and serial medical entrepreneur). Together, they founded AISAP, a name that merges "AI" (artificial intelligence) with "as soon as possible." Their goal was to develop advanced software that integrates with portable ultrasound devices, allowing physicians to perform quick and accessible diagnostics at the patient's bedside.
"AISAP's mission from day one has been to empower physicians at the point of care -whether in the emergency room, inpatient wards, or community clinics - by giving them the ability to interpret ultrasound exams quickly and accurately. This enables them to acquire diagnostic capabilities that were previously unavailable," explains Amit Aharoni, AISAP's VP of Operations and Business Development.
Revolutionizing Medical Diagnostics at the Point of Care
"The professional term for this is Point of Care diagnosis. This is a revolutionary shift in medicine," says Aharoni. "Traditionally, patients needed a referral to an echo lab, which required transport to a hospital or clinic, scans performed by specialist technicians, and a wait for an interpretation results from a specialist physician - a process that could take hours, days, or even weeks. AISAP is changing this by offering a cutting-edge software platform featuring advanced AI and deep learning-based image processing, which delivers diagnostic results within minutes."
How does the software work?
"Our software product, called POCAD™ (Point of Care Assisted Diagnosis), connects to any ultrasound device. Physicians - whether they are emergency physicians, internists, family physicians, or others - can upload imaging data directly to the cloud-based platform. The software performs an automatic interpretation, generating an easy-to-read report that integrates seamlessly into the patient's medical record, all without any wiring or additional connections. AISAP serves as the 'brain behind the scenes,' powering these mobile ultrasound devices. Our vision is to turn physicians into 'super-physicians,' equipping them with the ability to interpret imaging as precisely as experts and make rapid diagnoses that can save lives."
The Revolution is Here
Last summer, after two years of intense development, AISAP received FDA approval for its first product aimed at diagnosing heart disease - a first-of-its-kind approval worldwide, achieved in record time. Simultaneously, the company received approval from Israel's Ministry of Health. These milestones came on the heels of a $13 million fundraising round, led by Harel Insurance's investment fund, Shoni Health's digital health fund, and other investors including former Mossad Chief Tamir Pardo, alongside a 2.5 million grant from the Israel Innovation Authority.
AISAP is also in a strategic partnership with Sheba Medical Center and its ARC Innovation Center, conducting clinical trials and technological projects. One notable trial involved over 1,000 patients in Sheba's internal medicine departments. Using POCAD, the technology improved care management for more than 30% of patients, significantly impacting clinical and operational outcomes. "These are patients who might have been missed otherwise. This has far-reaching implications for early diagnosis, shorter hospital stays, referrals for advanced tests, and improved satisfaction among patients and healthcare providers alike. It's our mission to contribute to better, higher-quality healthcare," says Aharoni.
Despite its achievements, AISAP, which employs around 20 people in its offices in Israel (Ramat Gan) and the U.S. (Boston), is not resting on its laurels. The company is now in the midst of commercial expansion. Aharoni notes growing international interest in partnerships and projects. AISAP's technology is already implemented in leading hospitals across the U.S. and Israel, but this is just the beginning, with significant expansion into new markets expected in the coming months.
Expanding Beyond Cardiac Ultrasounds
Currently, AISAP focuses on heart ultrasounds. Is there a plan to expand into other diagnostic areas?
"The answer is yes. While our initial focus has been on cardiac ultrasounds due to the high demand and bottlenecks in hospitals and communities caused by a shortage of specialized physicians and technicians, AISAP's advantage is its ability to make this test accessible to almost any physician - whether in the community, rural areas, or even home care. Long-term, our vision is to diagnose diseases traditionally identified by the human eye, using AI, to assist physicians and expand the use of ultrasound, a low-cost, non-invasive, and radiation-free diagnostic tool. AISAP aims to be the technology that empowers every physician, anywhere in the world."
Resilience Amidst Challenges
Has the ongoing conflict impacted the company's growth?
"When the war broke out, nearly a third of our workforce was called up for reserve duty. Despite this challenging period, we managed to secure FDA approval during the war and continued our sales globally. This resilience is a testament to the strength of our company. We recently returned from a major conference with over 8,000 emergency room physicians in the U.S., where we received tremendous praise and interest in our product and technology. In these difficult times for Israel, it's a beacon of hope and a great privilege."
in collaboration with AISAP
