In Healthcare, there is a major thrust towards point of care (PoC) diagnostics. Unlike laboratory tests, they are typically performed at the same location as the patient and while they wait. These tests can support earlier and more accurate intervention that might then be confirmed by subsequent laboratory tests. Timeliness is key in the case of infectious diseases and many other conditions. Sensitivity is key in the detection of, for example, cardiac markers. The analyte can be the infection directly or a marker such as a gene expression triggered by a particular infection.
There is the clear potential to offer a new best practice in many diagnostic areas. Research is under way or under discussion in areas including STD’s and Tuberculosis.
More generally, immediate and cost effective tests leveraging the Armor sensor can form elements of solutions to address major systemic issues including the over prescription of antibiotics, patient failure to take medicines as prescribed, and the challenge of hospital acquired illnesses.
As in Healthcare, the Animal Healthcare market has requirements for rapid accurate detection at point of care (animal clinics). However, there is critical need for simple, easy to use, accurate field usable diagnostic sensors to replace or supplement sample collection, transmission to approved laboratories, and determination of results by highly trained personnel before informed decisions can be make.
Our second goal for animal healthcare is to prove single or two step processes, real-time, accurate, reliable, inexpensive, easy to use, tools providing point-of-use early warning enabling the immediate determination of the appropriate, measured, targeted response.
Homeland Security and Defense markets need immediate tests for a wide range of threats. The CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) threat is an ongoing concern. The Armor technology is well suited to combining detection of Chemical and Biological threats into a single device. An optional radiological detection capability can be incorporated into that device. A device of unprecedented sensitivity could be worn or placed for continuous monitoring and immediate reporting of any detected threat to a remote command center.
In many cases, Armor can develop a test using an aptamer, antibody or reagent supplied to us such that we never know what threat is of interest to the customer.
The Criminal Justice community is seeking cost effective alternatives to incarceration. Our sister Company, TraceX has developed a patent pending bracelet to detect alcohol transdermally and Armor is engaged on extending this capability into the full range of drugs of abuse. Armor is championing the effort to provide better alternatives to judicial system “participants” requiring alcohol monitoring and/or GPS tracking while supporting the development of technologies that will enable the continuous monitoring of other abused drugs simultaneously.
The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has identified a significant group of individuals who desire to voluntarily monitor alcohol consumption. Further, we see a parallel market for other abused drugs needing a similar infrastructure.
For individuals that require antidepressants or antipsychotics, therapeutic monitoring can eliminate or minimize behavioral changes that could result in harm to themselves or others. Currently, there is no technology in the FDA pipeline that can provide this needed support.
Pharmaceutical companies need to maintain constant vigilance for contamination of the supply chain and with immediate feedback in the event that even the smallest concentration of contaminant has been detected. Tests of end products prevent release of contaminated product into the market but do not allow for real-time correction of problems. This is particularly important with a move from batch processing to continuous production processes.
Armor’s technologies hold the promise of providing inexpensive, easy to use and comprehend, real-time substitutes for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT), polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, and gene expression immunoassays among others. This would reduce the capital expenditure outlays, consumables, sample collect associated costs, and the need for highly trained specialized personnel to interpret the outputs.
Even in well-developed countries, food safety is a major challenge. CDC estimates that each year roughly 1 in 6 Americans (or 48 million people) get sick; 128,000 are hospitalized; and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. Armor Sensor’s domain goal is to provide sensors and remote monitoring throughout the supply chain from the growing of fruits and vegetables and the raising of animals, to the entry of foreign products at our ports of entry, to their handling and processing, to shipping, to counter displays. With our partners, we are examining every aspect of the supply chain enabling knowledge management for continuous process improvement to minimize both public health risks as well as minimize financial risks to all parties involved.
Environmental health is another market that needs timely detection of contaminants to control the impact and economic cost of contaminants in complex supply chains. In many parts of the world, potable water is in short supply. Often water is available and is not used because it cannot be proven to be safe. Alternatively, potentially unsafe water is used when it could be treated and rendered safe. Armor’s technology is robust and easy to use, detecting whether water is safe to drink and, if not, why not and what to do about it.
