Abingdon Health announces £1M Innovate UK funding for the development of a fully quantitative lateral flow Smartphone Reader
Innovate UK has released £1M to fund a further next generation development of Abingdon Health’s lateral-flow rapid test readout technology; AppDx®. The project will see the enhancement of AppDx® at an accelerated pace to achieve a fully quantitative smartphone-based solution for the lateral flow assay (LFA) market.
AppDx® is cutting-edge software that transforms a Smartphone camera into a self-sufficient, standalone lateral-flow reader. By utilising connectivity within Smartphones, AppDx® then enables data captured from rapid tests to be securely shared via a data cloud to connected stakeholders.
AppDx® algorithms work under a “bring-your-own-device” model and the software considers test specific and end-user variables as well as vital configuration criteria for different phone models.
Traditional benchtop readers, or compact instruments used as lateral-flow readers, are far more expensive than the Smartphone alternatives, and tend to have limited scope and need to be returned to the factory for upgrades. AppDx® algorithms, software and security updates can be upgraded remotely minimising disruption for end-users and patients, providing a future proof solution.
There is a need for personalised, decentralised and targeted healthcare to deliver results at the point of use. This approach addresses the increased burden on health care services and budgets. Coupled with this is a greater emphasis on patient-centricity to allow patients to have a greater role in their health management.
The quantitative rapid data enhancements to AppDx® will add to the current platform’s flexibility and the test data derived from AppDx® will be integral in delivering secure and critical diagnostic information as part of decentralised point of care testing and personalised medicine strategies.
Neeraj Adsul, Embedded Development Manager at Abingdon Health commented:
“We all understand the importance for rapid diagnostics to be deployed on a large scale following the COVID-19 pandemic. The enhanced quantitative reporting capability developed through this project will have a game-changer potential exactly for this purpose. We will be able to further enhance the large-scale use of rapid testing and support better health outcomes.”
About Abingdon Health
Abingdon Health’s vision is to innovate to preserve and improve life.
We pursue this vision through using our rapid testing expertise to support our customers taking their projects through development and into high-throughput automated manufacturing. We focus on operational excellence to provide our customer with efficient, effective, automated and scalable development and manufacturing to support their ambitious plans and objectives.
Abingdon Health is headquartered in York, UK, with sites in York, Doncaster, and Birmingham.