The FORTIFIEDx project aims to revolutionize the point-of-care in vitro diagnostic (POC IVD) field by making use of novel multifunctional biocompatible polymers and their (micro)structuring with mass fabrication technology to develop for the first time a true sample-to-result POC test.
IVD technologies have revolutionized healthcare, yet remain confined to the laboratories. As witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic, this traditional centralized approach was not sufficient to prevent and manage viral outbreak because it massively failed to deliver quick and cost-effective diagnosis. The pandemic further emphasized the growing need to urgently bring lab-quality diagnosis to the hands of end users (i.e. at the POC).
The FORTIFIEDx consortium will develop a FORTIFIEDx microfluidic-based patch capable of both biofluids (self-)sampling via hollow microneedles (HMN) and immediate analysis of this sample on the very same patch in a completely self-powered manner. Two unmet clinical needs, posing epidemic/pandemic treats to both the dFORTIFIEDx eveloped and developing world, are selected: (1) sexually transmitted diseases, in particular simultaneous diagnosis of HIV and Syphilis, to enable timely diagnosis of patients not always able to reach centralized settings due to stigma or financial difficulties and (2) viral haemorrhagic fever (VHF), in particular Ebola and Lassa viruses (EBOV and LASV, respectively), to battle their highly contagious and deadly outbreaks, prevalent in low-middle income countries (LMIC) where resources are scarce and investment in healthcare is low.
To tackle this challenging aim, the interdisciplinary and experienced FORTIFIEDx consortium will combine insights from material science, engineering and microfabrication, microfluidic technology development, bioassay development, clinical validation and life cycle assessment (LCA).
Our vision is to address these 2 clinical gaps by offering a novel technology-based approach to revolutionize the diagnostics workflow, from centralized towards decentralized and more patient empowerment. With our interdisciplinary approach, we aim to cover the whole value chain of a novel IVD patch from its engineering and material side until its validation with clinically relevant applications. For this reason, it is anticipated that our impact will be extensive, touching different growing markets, engaging with academic, industrial and societal stakeholders.
