Very interesting that nasa are pushing to develope(finalise) a VOC device and I wonder if they are trying to utilise Akida into it.
Now that would be something else and maybe that’s where a few of our chips have gone.
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Respiratory viral infection can sometimes lead to serious, possibly life threatening complications. Highly contagious respiratory diseases cause significant disruptions to social and economic systems if spread is uncontrolled. Therefore, the rapid and precise identification of viral infection before entering crowded or vulnerable areas is essential for suppressing their transmission effectively. Additionally, a device that is reconfigurable to address the next pandemic is highly desired. Screening for infection via exhaled breath analysis could provide a quick and simple method to find infectious carriers. This breath analyzer conceptualizes a rapid scanning device enabling the user to determine the presence of viral infection in an exhaled breath through analyzing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) concentrations.N5 Sensors will technically evaluate the feasibility of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) sensors for realizing Rapid Infection Screening via Exhalation (RISE) in a breathalyzer able to identify respiratory virus infected individuals, suitable for mass-testing scenarios.The proposed survey is expected to provide the guidance how to devise an integrated sensor system for actualizing initial screening at key check points. The evaluation will be accomplished by performing market survey, research level survey, and receiving consulting from breath analyzer pioneering companies for 1) Breath analyzer platform2) VOC gas sensors and 3) Machine learning algorithm. The survey will be progressed within stepwise assessment from initial database search, article screening and selection, to quality assessment and assortment. A comprehensive final report will be provided in which our findings and research strategy for Phase II are presented.
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Triton Systems, Inc. will identify, design, and develop three noninvasive diagnostic tools to screen breath for the presence of communicable respiratory viral infections. The proposed screening technologies will be based on low-cost, high-throughput sensing modalities capable of detecting unique signatures of viral pathogens. After conducting a thorough and technical review of available targets, including volatile organic contaminants (VOCs), and suitable sensing platforms, Triton will develop sensor components into an integrated system with minimal form factor for use as personal health monitors or at travel checkpoints in highly trafficked areas. The proposed sensors will be easy to administer and widely deployable to maximize their benefit during seasonal epidemics and global pandemics involving communicable respiratory viral infections. Emphasis will be placed on an inexpensive platform with superlative sensitivity, selectivity, stability, and throughput. Wireless communication capabilities will enable the presentation and recording of the screening results in under five minutes at the site of use. Combined, the sensor components will be a widely deployable platform for detecting viral respiratory agents with pandemic potential, enhancing public health emergency readiness, and improving the transportation security infrastructure in the United States.
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The COVID-19 pandemic is an example of human vulnerability to new communicable respiratory viral infections. Currently, most viral respiratory infections in humans are detected by sensing the presence of the pathogen's genetic material or proteins (i.e., antigens) in bodily fluids. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods are the most commonly used to detect a pathogen's genetic material. Although samples can be collected outside the lab, it requires specialized laboratories and skilled technicians to collect samples, perform the tests, and analyze results. Furthermore, these tests requires hours to days to process and provide results. Additionally, their sampling methods are generally invasive. Accelerating the development of new, near real time, inexpensive, user-friendly, non-invasive, accurate, and sensitive detection technologies will contribute significantly to the national and worldwide efforts to curb communicable respiratory viral infections, like the COVID-19 pandemic. During Phase I, Lynntech will use its extensive expertise in portable chemical and biochemical sensor development (including sensors for VOC detection) to select portable, fast, reliable sensors/detectors that could be used to detect VOC markers in exhaled breath and that are associated with infectious agents. During Phase II, Lynntech will develop prototypes of the candidate approach and conduct tests to demonstrate the device's capability in the detection of VOC markers of a viral infection.
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