Sharing the letter from February 21st again. If anyone got a new letter today please post here so we can have some clarity on the number of studies at Maz. As I read this letter again it appears that it was always a plan for this comparison to contrast-enhanced 2D Echo study to happen. So I don't think this is the third study.
Since this study was just started they must have been busy with the other study for the past five months which I think has to do with children. Starting a new study probably means they are done with the other study. They now need to just use all the data, write a paper, and publish it.
Dear Stakeholder;
Attached is a new release announcing our first installation of a VMS+ system at “The Maz" in Edmonton. Here is some background information.
1. The Maz had an original VMS for RV only and now has upgraded to the VMS+ for all 4 chambers of the heart.
2. As usual, they want to try it out on a select group of patients until they adopt it for everyone. Accordingly, they are going to study “technically-difficult” patients first and then cancer patients.
3. "Technically-difficult” is jargon for patients (30-40% of people), who give poor quality images, but as you know the VMS+ excels at analyzing studies where only a small area in each of the 16 normal views can be discerned. It is by aggregating all these little bits of information and using an AI approach we can get the correct result.
4. We have been encourage by our expert users, who have been surprised to be able to analyze what they would have previously said were “unreadable” echocardiograms.
5. Normally, such patients would have gone on to have contrast media injected and have the study redone. This is dangerous (allergic reaction to contrast media), expensive, traumatic and time-consuming, as it requires an IV nurse to be summoned and waited for and numerous people, especially children do not like needles.
6. We continue our quest to improve cardiac diagnosis for all, especially for children. While we originally wanted to avoid MRI, we now see the potential to eliminate needles and contrast media.
7. The study will not take long as the Maz is a busy cardiac centre and so we should have something to report Soon.
