From PRNewswire/ Montfort
Using smartphone technology to conduct remote, FDA-cleared neurological monitoring, Montfort now offers tests for Post-COVID 19 symptoms
Montfort’s FDA-cleared solution leverages smartphone technology, big-data and AI to conduct digital neurological tests for patients with conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, psychiatric disorders (like schizophrenia), as well as for patients with Post-COVID19 symptoms, some of which are similar to those observed in neurological conditions.
“About one billion people around the world suffer from neurological and psychiatric disorders. Diagnostics and treatment are based upon short and infrequent clinical visits thus limiting patients’ quality of care and increasing treatment costs – about 800 Billion USD in the US alone,” says Ziv Yekutieli, Montfort Co-Founder and CEO.
In recent months, Montfort has seen growing demand around the world for its EncephaLog™ solution, which is used by hospitals, medical corporations, and research institutes, most notably Henry Ford Health System (US), Medtronic (US), Queen Marry hospital (Hong Kong), Campus Bio-Medico di Roma (Italy), and more.
“Before the pandemic, remote checkups were already gaining traction, COVID-19 lockdown made them inevitable. Moreover, many countries are starting to reimburse remote monitoring costs, which adds a strong economic incentive for tele-medicine. Our App allows standard neurological examination to be conducted anytime, anywhere, by using a standard smartphone,” says Dr. Yekutieli.
COVID-19 has further increased the demand for yet another reason: “For reasons that are not fully understood at this stage, the coronavirus is associated with several neurological symptoms that may have long lasting effect,” says Dr. Yekutieli. “Our platform now offers a Post-COVID-19 test protocol which covers relevant motor and cognitive functions.” During the past six months, Montfort has provided Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre in Brazil with a Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) platform for monitoring hundreds of health professionals infected with COVID-19.
Montfort’s app comes in two versions: a clinical app to be used by the physician at the clinic, and a home version for patients to use in their natural environment. The collective data and its analysis, using Montfort propriety algorithms and AI, make clinical research simpler, patient diagnostic faster, and ongoing treatment more efficient.
Montfort was co-founded in Israel by CEO Ziv Yekutieli, PhD, an electrical engineer and brain scientist, with over 20 years of experience linking between both disciplines; and Dima Gershman, CTO, an Information Systems Engineering expert. Montfort’s advisory board includes Professor Peter LeWitt, Professor of Neurology at Wayne State University School of Medicine, Director of the Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Program at Henry Ford Hospital, Michigan, USA. Professor Hagai Bergman, Chair of Brain Research, Faculty of Medicine, Interdisciplinary Center for Neural Computation, Center for Brain Research – Hebrew University, Senior Researcher, Department of Neurosurgery, Hadassah Medical Center, President – International Basal Ganglia Society. Prof. Paul Friedmann, Professor of Clinical Neuroimmunology at Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany.