Universities across the country including Seattle-based University of Washington Medicine and Stanford (Calif.) University have been developing innovative technology to fight off the fast-spreading novel coronavirus, according to PBS.
The FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health has been issuing Emergency Use Authorizations to academic institutions, hospitals, nontraditional device makers and others creating devices to assist healthcare workers and patients during the pandemic. FDA declined to comment on the number of EUA requests its received in response to COVID-19, according to the report.
Here are three tech-based projects that universities and hospitals are teaming up on in response to the pandemic:
1. University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine developed an early-stage vaccine candidate, dubbed PittCoVacc, as well as a patch-based delivery system for the vaccine. The research team created a small patch comprising hundreds of tiny needles made of dissolvable sugars, which are saturated with the vaccine. The patch does not need to be refrigerated, unlike most other vaccines.
2. Stanford (Calif.) University bioengineering professor Manu Prakash started an open source project in March to transform full-face snorkels into reusable PPE for healthcare workers. The project team worked with various other organizations including University of Utah to create a 3D-printed filter and injection molded attachment, which connects to the mask's air intake tube. The masks have been submitted to the FDA for approval for emergency use authorization and are currently being tested in three hospitals.
3. UW Medicine and the Seattle Children's Hospital are developing a cough-detection app for smartphones. The research team is building off cough-detection research from 2011; the app uses an algorithm that can detect and record cough sounds, which healthcare workers can then monitor without admitting the patient to the hospital.