The ARM Institute was uniquely positioned to quickly respond to the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic
Project
This project was funded through a special COVID-19 focused Technology Project Call the ARM Institute released in partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense.
Objective
This project seeks to make Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for COVID-19 more accessible in the U.S. The developed technology could be used to also test for other diseases.
Technical Approach
While many tests for COVID-19 have been developed, the U.S still has not reached the scale necessary for effective management and control. COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests have long turnaround times (2-3 days for lab results). Rapid development of COVID-19 Lateral Flow Assay (LFA) tests would dramatically aid the United States’ efforts towards large-scale testing for current and future pandemics. LFA test strip evaluation requires at least two technicians – one to run the assay and one to interpret results using analyzers that image and quantify individual strips. This project will develop a solution utilizing advanced vision systems and flexible robots to accelerate LFA test development by automating LFA test-strip evaluation.
