Dr. Alvira Macanovic reports

DR. LUC MERTENS, HEAD OF ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY AT THE HOSPITAL FOR SICK CHILDREN, JOINS VENTRIPOINT'S CLINICAL ADVISORY BOARD

Dr. Luc Mertens, one of Canada's and the world's top practitioners of echocardiography, is joining Ventripoint Diagnostics Ltd.'s clinical advisory board.

Dr. Mertens, MD, PhD, is the current section head of echocardiography at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada, and is also a professor at the University of Toronto. His achievements and expertise are globally recognized in the echocardiography community.

"To have Dr. Mertens agree to advise Ventripoint on our ongoing use of artificial intelligence to image the human heart using ultrasound is nothing less than an honour," said Ventripoint chief executive officer Dr. Alvira Macanovic.

Ventripoint is now finalizing the next upgrade of the company's patented heart-imaging artificial intelligence technology -- VMS+ -- that turns ultrasounds into MRI-quality heart images. These AI enhanced images, completed in minutes at a fraction of the time and cost of MRIs, are now being used in hospitals in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe.

"Dr. Mertens and the Hospital for Sick Children were involved in Ventripoint's original clinical trials for the technology, bringing invaluable experience and knowledge to the development of this Canadian-made technology," added Dr. Macanovic. "I believe Dr. Mertens's role as an adviser will help Ventripoint further advance the use of AI to improve accessible heart care in the health care system."

Ventripoint's Canadian-built technology and software work for patients of all ages, and scans can usually be taken within minutes. The technology has great utility for infants and children with heart conditions, who often cannot be placed in an MRI because it requires sedation.

"I look forward to working with Ventripoint to further this Canadian technology that uses AI to improve the treatment of heart patients," said Dr. Mertens.

SickKids, which is currently using the VMS+, is expected to be upgraded to the next version of Ventripoint's AI heart-imaging technology when it becomes commercially available this year.

Dr. Mertens received his medical degree from the University of Leuven in Belgium, and trained as a pediatric cardiologist at the University of Leuven and at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. (United States). He worked as a pediatric cardiologist at the university hospitals in Leuven between 1998 and 2008, focusing on pediatric echocardiography and studying cardiac function in children.

Dr. Mertens has also received international recognition as the Feigenbaum lecturer for the American Society of Echocardiography Scientific Sessions in 2014, as well as the founding chair of the European Accreditation Committee for Pediatric and Congenital Echocardiography in 2004.

About Ventripoint Diagnostics Ltd.

Ventripoint has become an industry leader in the application of AI to echocardiography. Ventripoint's VMS products are powered by its proprietary KBR technology, which is the result of a decade of development and provides accurate volumetric cardiac measurements equivalent to MRI. This affordable gold standard alternative allows cardiologists greater confidence in the management of their patients. Providing better care to patients serves as a springboard and basic standard for all of Ventripoint's products that guide future developments. In addition, VMS+ is versatile, and can be used with all ultrasound systems from any vendor supported by regulatory market approvals in the United States, Europe and Canada.

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