Response Biomedical Corporation

Published purpose

There are numerous biomarkers present at low concentrations whose detection can provide valuable information pertaining an individual's health. Examples include but are not limited to; (i) antigens derived from SARS-CoV-2 whose presence in asymptomatic individuals is indicative of exposure or infection, (ii) cardiac troponin which when elevated is indicative of cardiac risk, (iii) various cytokine markers related to the "cytokine storm" seen in COVID-19 patients. NRC is seeking innovations which can be used in diverse settings by minimally trained users to assess a human sample for the presence or quantity of one or multiple biomarkers, using a single device (i.e. multiplex detection) as to provide information to inform a subsequent course of action. The course of action may be that an individual seeks specific medical care, or following a proactive screening for an infectious disease and not needing to modify their behavior, or that they are suspected to have been exposed to an infectious organism and that they need to seek further testing or care. While there are marketed products which can detect low concentrations of the aforementioned as well as other biomarkers, those products are confined to laboratories. The current COVID-19 pandemic has illustrated that there is significant need for an innovation which would allow individuals, or health care teams to test samples obtained via non-invasive means for the presence of one or multiple biomarkers present at low concentrations outside of traditional settings. The ability to detect and or quantify such biomarkers at low concentrations in nontraditional setting could prevent inadvertent spread of disease, or remote evaluation of individuals thus decreasing the burden on health care systems. Unfortunately, we do not currently have appropriate innovations.