To help combat the pandemic, Bloom Diagnostics has launched its smart COVID-19 antibody testing device following the receipt of a USD 11.7 million investment. The validated device can detect antibodies within ten minutes.
Bloom Diagnostics has ha introduced its COVID-19 antibody test for professional use in the EU. The Bloom System allows healthcare professionals including such as doctors, nurses, or pharmacists to conduct COVID-19 antibody testing with real-time results using its Bloom Lab – a smart, Bluetooth enabled device which operates through the Bloom App on the user’s smartphone. The system is also eligible for self-testing at home – the company is currently seeking approval for Europe and the US.
The system works by capturing pin-prick blood samples in the Bloom test strip and then deployed into the Bloom Lab. Following that, cloud-based algorithms aggregate test results with other measurable health-indicators like medical history, lifestyle and individual symptoms giving immediate and fully encrypted feedback through a personalized report on the Bloom App. The entire smart testing process takes around ten minutes.
The Bloom System aims to eliminate long waiting times for COVID-19 antibody tests and relieve pressure on healthcare systems. According to leading American academic medical center Mayo Clinic, access to rapid-response antibody testing is vital in the fight against COVID-19. On average, research estimates that most people develop antibodies within 7 to 14 days after infection. Reacting to the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic, Bloom Diagnostics developed the fully integrated COVID-19 serological test (which analyzes blood) for professional use into the Bloom System.
The test was validated by Professor Adriano Aguzzi, director of the Institute of Neuropathology at the University Hospital Zurich. The test can help authorities or organizations understand the rate of spread of the pandemic and development of antibodies in a specific region or cohort. The fully anonymized data also allows for insights such as the rate of infection among different age groups and genders, geographical locations and connections to other diseases. The medtech company is developing further tests for a wide range of medical conditions on the Bloom System, its smart diagnostic platform.
Bloom Diagnostics was founded in 2018 by Angelica Kohlmann and Thomas Kupper. The company recently closed a USD 11.7 million Series B funding round which will be used for additional R&D and to drive expansion throughout Europe and the US. Among their early investors are Speedinvest from Austria and Canadian Walter Group.
(Press release/RAN)
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