Leumit Start, the innovation arm of Leumit Health Services, has signed a first-of-its-kind collaboration in Israel with Israeli company TechnoPulm, under which Leumit will become the first health care provider to implement advanced pulmonary testing technology in community clinics.
As part of the agreement, Leumit will introduce TechnoPulm’s handheld pulmonary function testing device in its clinics, offering accuracy comparable to hospital-based pulmonary institutes. The move is expected to significantly expand access to advanced lung diagnostics outside hospital settings.
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Leumit Health Services implements TechnoPulm technology for diagnosing lung diseases
(Photo: TechnoPulm)
At the center of the collaboration is the TechnoPulm STS device, an Israeli-developed solution that for the first time enables two advanced pulmonary function tests to be performed in community clinics: spirometry and plethysmography. A third test, diffusion capacity (DLCO), is expected to be added at a later stage. As part of the device’s development, TechnoPulm conducted a clinical trial at Leumit, in cooperation with Leumit Start and Leumit’s Research Institute.
The system uses pressure sensors and physical-mathematical analysis of exhaled airflow dynamics, combined with proprietary algorithms that ensure compliance with international ATS and ERS standards. Until now, such tests have been carried out almost exclusively in hospitals, often after waits of weeks or even months.
By moving the technology into community clinics, the need for hospital referrals, special insurance authorization forms such as Form 17, or travel to hospital pulmonary institutes is eliminated. Test results are available immediately, allowing pulmonologists to begin treatment during the same visit. The change is expected to shorten diagnostic timelines and improve care for patients with asthma, COPD and other lung diseases.
In Israel, more than 200,000 spirometry tests, 60,000 to 100,000 plethysmography tests and 50,000 to 90,000 DLCO tests are performed each year. Introducing the system into community clinics is expected to reduce pressure on hospitals, improve service availability and generate significant cost savings for the health care system.
Izhar Laufer, founder and head of Leumit Start, said the collaboration marks a major step from research through evaluation to real-world implementation. “This product represents a significant advance in shortening treatment cycles, reducing the need for repeated visits and making an immediate impact on patients’ quality of life,” he said.
Shabtay Negry, CEO of TechnoPulm, said Leumit is the first health fund in Israel to sign a full-scale collaboration and deploy the device broadly. “This is a lightweight, easy-to-operate handheld system that replaces large, heavy and expensive equipment, enabling accurate, accessible and rapid diagnosis of lung diseases,” he said.
In the coming weeks, Leumit is expected to begin rolling out diagnostic stations across its clinics nationwide, as part of a broader program aimed at expanding advanced medical services in community-based care.