TECHNOLOGY:
Disposable Integrated Photonics Diagnostics Platform for Next Generation Biosensing (i.e. COVID-19)
AFFILIATION:
SiPhox, Inc., CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, United States
TECHNOLOGY SUMMARY
Area:
Diagnostic technologies for identification of SARS-CoV-2 from human nasal, buccal, or saliva samples
Tech Brief: SiPhox is commercializing a handheld diagnostics platform, OneLab, useful for COVID testing and more. OneLab harnesses the power of silicon photonics and the semiconductor industry to bringing a multiplexed, lab-quality test with results in minutes. The handheld reader is $100 and cartridges are $5, averaging $1 per COVID test.
SHOWCASE SUMMARY
Org Type:
Early-stage Startup (Seed)
FIGURES OF MERIT
Value Proposition: COVID exposed the need for a missing technology in the in-vitro diagnostics market: at-home and point-of-need lab-quality diagnostics. Lateral flow assays, such as pregnancy tests, are neither sensitive enough, nor multiplexed or quantitative enough to be used for many tests. Microring resonator biosensor technology has already been commercialized for point-of-care and clinical lab testing by companies like Genalyte, however the large size and cost (100lb, ~$50k) of such machines prevents them from being used in the home or in the field. SiPhox is the first company to develop the capability to deliver accurate molecular diagnostics on silicon photonic chips. This was accomplished by developing sensor surface chemistry that interfaces with CRISPR diagnostic assays which can detect RNA and DNA at very low concentrations. By completely miniaturizing the entire readout system, including the tunable laser, detectors, optical switches, and optical coupling onto chips, SiPhox is able to deliver a $100 handheld reader that can be manufactured in the millions by the same factories that produce telecom transceivers for datacenters. A single reader can be used to process a broad range of tests by plugging in various disposable microfluidic cartridges.