(Photo: REUTERS/Craig Lassig)
While the coronavirus pandemic has crippled most industries around the world, it's still a good time for companies to showcase their products, especially if it's something that can curb the spread of the disease.
That's exactly what Abbott did, whose toaster-sized ID NOW lab-in-a-box has just received emergency use authorization from the FDA. This portable device may be tiny, but its capabilities are huge as it can show COVID-19 positive results in five minutes and 13 minutes tops for all-clear results. It's also pretty convenient, considering you can use anywhere outside of a hospital, such as in testing facilities or clinics.
According to Abbott, it's currently working to produce more of ID NOW in order to deliver at least 50,000 tests per day in the U.S. While that may seem a lot, the device already has an existing footprint, which is perhaps its greatest advantage.
ID NOW is "widely available" in many emergency rooms and in doctors' offices, and for a good reason. It uses molecular testing technology, which means that only a small piece of the coronavirus RNA is needed since it can amplify that segment until there's enough for the machine to detect. As opposed to other testing kits that can take hours or days for the results to come out, this portable device only needs minutes.
Indeed, it's a great time for companies to put their gadgets on display, given that technology is one of our greatest weapons to combat the dreaded virus. Another company that's doing that is healthcare and biomedical engineering outfit Medtronic, who has decided to share the specs of its portable ventilator hardware for free.
Medtronic is making available to anyone the software code, design documents, product manuals, and full design specifications of its Puritan Bennet 560 ventilator. Being a lightweight and compact piece of hardware, the PB 560 can be transported anywhere for use in a wide range of healthcare settings.
According to Medtronic, the design of its portable ventilator is well-suited for "inventors, startups, and academic institutions" interested in ramping up production, as well as create their own designs.
The seriousness of the situation right now can't be more emphasized that even for-profit companies are willing to do their part in making the world a healthier and safer place. Offering their products in a broader range or donating them for a good cause could be all temporary, but the most important thing is, we're all working together to combat the coronavirus crisis.
