Sam Brusco, Associate Editor03.18.22
Nanoelectronics and digital tech research and innovation hub imec and miDiagnostics, an imec spinoff specialized in point-of-care tests to screen, diagnose, and monitor a range of health conditions, have signed a non-exclusive licensing agreement.
miDiagnostics will kickstart commercialization efforts for a “COVID-19 breathalyzer,” a technology that captures aerosols and droplets from exhaled breath and screens for viral RNA using miDiagnostics ultrafast PCR tech.
Clinical studies at the university of Leuven and university hospital showed the breath sampler of capturing SARS-CoV-2 in exhaled air, as well as quick and reliable viral RNA decetion. Imec also developed a sampling instrument that integrates the breath sampling tech and imec’s ultra-fast PCR test.
"I note with great pride that we have run an impressive course in the past months," Luc Van den hove, CEO at imec told the press. "We have succeeded in transforming a promising concept and groundbreaking technology into a functional proof-of-concept that has passed both user tests and clinical studies. This is the first time that we have gone this far in the development of our chip technology towards commercialization. With this proof-of-concept, we can demonstrate -much closer to the market- the added value of our technology, while significantly reducing the time-to-market for our partners. The license agreement with miDiagnostics is an important milestone for imec: our breakthrough technology will help curb the COVID-19 pandemic in the foreseeable future."
Imec aims to develop the platform further so it can be used to diagnose other infectious airborne diseases.
“Despite the vaccination campaigns, there’s still a great need for accessible and reliable rapid tests to curb new virus outbreaks or to avoid unnecessary quarantine. With our license to imec's groundbreaking technology, we aim to make our ultra-fast PCR technology, which we now use for nasal swabs, also compatible with exhaled air—the perfect sample for silicon-based PCR. This first prototype will be tested at the airport in November in collaboration with Brussels Airport, Ecolog and Eurofins,” said Katleen Verleysen, CEO of miDiagnostics.
miDiagnostics will kickstart commercialization efforts for a “COVID-19 breathalyzer,” a technology that captures aerosols and droplets from exhaled breath and screens for viral RNA using miDiagnostics ultrafast PCR tech.
Clinical studies at the university of Leuven and university hospital showed the breath sampler of capturing SARS-CoV-2 in exhaled air, as well as quick and reliable viral RNA decetion. Imec also developed a sampling instrument that integrates the breath sampling tech and imec’s ultra-fast PCR test.
"I note with great pride that we have run an impressive course in the past months," Luc Van den hove, CEO at imec told the press. "We have succeeded in transforming a promising concept and groundbreaking technology into a functional proof-of-concept that has passed both user tests and clinical studies. This is the first time that we have gone this far in the development of our chip technology towards commercialization. With this proof-of-concept, we can demonstrate -much closer to the market- the added value of our technology, while significantly reducing the time-to-market for our partners. The license agreement with miDiagnostics is an important milestone for imec: our breakthrough technology will help curb the COVID-19 pandemic in the foreseeable future."
Imec aims to develop the platform further so it can be used to diagnose other infectious airborne diseases.
“Despite the vaccination campaigns, there’s still a great need for accessible and reliable rapid tests to curb new virus outbreaks or to avoid unnecessary quarantine. With our license to imec's groundbreaking technology, we aim to make our ultra-fast PCR technology, which we now use for nasal swabs, also compatible with exhaled air—the perfect sample for silicon-based PCR. This first prototype will be tested at the airport in November in collaboration with Brussels Airport, Ecolog and Eurofins,” said Katleen Verleysen, CEO of miDiagnostics.