Health Tech World

Corridor has raised US$25m in seed funding for its AI health benefits service for small employers, combining human advisers with automated support. The New York startup uses AI agents to handle repetitive administrative tasks linked to health benefits while retaining human advisers. Its technology can check whether a doctor is included in an insurance plan's provider network, schedule care and send updated insurance information to healthcare providers.

A trial of a potential world-first approved C. diff vaccine is expanding across the UK, aiming to recruit more people aged over 65. Clostridioides difficile, or C. diff, is a bacterial infection of the bowel that can cause severe diarrhoea and dehydration. The vaccine is in the final stage of testing and is being studied as a potential way to protect people at higher risk of infection.

Three digital health innovators have been shortlisted for a Health Tech World Award. The finalists were chosen from one of the most popular categories at Health Tech World's forth annual awards event. The Digital Health Innovation of the Year award recognises exceptional innovations in digital health that are revolutionising healthcare through connected technologies, software solutions, and digital platforms.

A new approach to sharing diagnostic images captured by doctors at the point of care is informing time-critical decisions for some of the most unwell babies in hospital, with patients in emergency and intensive care settings set to benefit next.

UltraSight has raised US$24m to expand its AI-guided cardiac ultrasound platform across US hospitals and develop intensive care and circulatory support workflows. The Israeli company said the Series B2 financing will support wider adoption of its Echosystem platform in the US and the development of additional tools for clinical settings where rapid imaging can directly affect treatment decisions.

An OpenAI agent accessed public and non-public data on Australia's Medicare portal during a health research task in June, officials have said. Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese said the tech firm did not alert the Australian government to the breach until 10 September, when the company sent an email to a generic public mailbox. He said he had told Altman he was disappointed it had taken the company "way too long" to inform the government of what had happened.

The Medical Research Council is investing £50m over 14 years in the Centre of Research Excellence in Restorative Immunology, led by the University of Birmingham. The programme will study immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, conditions in which the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue, causing inflammation and potentially lasting damage.

Three innovative femtech companies have been shortlisted for a Health Tech World Award. The organisations made the final following an extensive shortlisting process by the Health Tech World team. The Femtech Company of the Year Award celebrates an outstanding company dedicated to advancing women's health through innovative technology solutions.

A modern treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) - described to be similar to a pacemaker - has reached its 100th implantation in the UK, marked by a milestone procedure carried out at Trafford General Hospital. The device, developed by Inspire Medical Systems Inc, is providing an additional option for patients with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnoea who are unable to tolerate conventional CPAP therapy.

HETT 2026 is soon approaching - The Digital Workforce's NHS team will be attending the event in London on 29-30 September. Our cancer pathway and diagnostics experts Jas Cartwright and Chris Sleight will also take the stage in the AI Spotlight- speaker spot to discuss how automation can streamline patient care and diagnostic pathways. Between the two of them, they have spent over 60 years working in and around the NHS. Throughout their journeys, they've always reached the same conclusion.