TECHNOLOGY:
Rapid Antigen Test for COVID-19 Diagnosis at the Point of Care
AFFILIATION:
Kephera Diagnostics, LLC, Framingham, Massachusetts, United States
TECHNOLOGY SUMMARY
Area:
Diagnostic technologies for identification of SARS-CoV-2 from human nasal, buccal, or saliva samples
Tech Brief: Kephera is developing a rapid point-of-care test for detection of SARS-CoV-2 antigen in saliva or nasal swab samples, utilizing a novel combination of luminescence lateral flow technology and an artificial intelligence-driven smartphone reader for automated reading and interpretation of test results.
SHOWCASE SUMMARY
Org Type:
Early-stage Startup (Seed)
FIGURES OF MERIT
Value Proposition: Given the worldwide demand for rapid COVID-19 testing solutions and the limited supply of commercial tests, there is a major opportunity for new tests that can be used at the point of care or self-administered, and are adequately sensitive and specific for clinical utility. Kephera’s rapid SARS-CoV-2 antigen test will be the first of a line of rapid tests designed for its proprietary platform, which combines detection by high-sensitivity luminescence with automated reading and interpretation by a smartphone app powered by artificial intelligence algorithms that boost signal/noise ratio and hence sensitivity. The smartphone app, for either iOS or Android phones, will make Kephera’s tests accessible to the global consumer as well as professional market at a low price point, competing effectively with more expensive laboratory testing options. This platform will be aimed at the point of care and home market sectors, where the smartphone approach will provide a lower cost, user-friendly alternative to dedicated reader instruments and complex software. Importantly, the smartphone app provides a window through which Kephera and commercial partners can communicate with users, market add-on services and new tests, carry out market research and develop user communities that will establish brand awareness and loyalty.