Breath Pathogen Analyzer

We are at an incredibly trying times, we are all anxious, and that anxiety is exasperated by the fact Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) virus is invisible. Sophisticated diagnostic tests are required to detect virus and most tests are not rapid point-of-care test. Asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic carriers are not identifiable and yet capable to spread disease. Human to human transmission through contact and aerosol is the primary route of disease spread. HunchDx is developing AerosolEaseTM, portable point-of-care devices to rapidly identify pathogens from individual’s breath. The compact device is portable perform tests at home, office or public places like airports, transportation centers or any business entities worldwide for quick onsite check. COVID-19 pandemic has already turned all our lives upside-down with lost lives, vanishing jobs, social-distancing, economic turmoil and world conflicts. AerosolEaseTM acquires critical information needed for individual’s health and for the control of disease spread worldwide. 

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has reached worldwide pandemic level as declared by the World Health Organization (WHO). COVID-19 cases in the world exceeds 8,000,000 with greater than 450,000 deaths to date and continue to grow with spread to all continents. The pandemic has placed a strain on health care systems around the world resulting in shortages of necessary healthcare supplies and low testing rates. Social-economic damages worldwide are enormous. Human to human transmission through contact and aerosol is the primary route of disease spread. Social distancing is abating further spread of COVID-19. Disease testing and detection is the key to identify COVID-19 carriers in order to keep the disease under control. However, asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic virus carriers are difficult to identify, which could be the major threat in disease spreading. With the world reopening from lockdowns, a second wave of COVID-19 is very likely, the world will continue to suffer. Like flu, coronavirus could be seasonal infectious diseases. A routine and personal virus detection device is urgently needed for the world to manage and control the disease.  Rapid tests are in dire need to quickly identify disease carriers for personal health and for public health interests. 

AerosolEaseTM, is a compact bioaerosol sampling device, it is intended for rapid point-of-care tests at homes, doctor’s offices, clinics or hospitals.  AerosolEaseTM will be available either through over-the-counter at drug stores or healthcare professionals. The simple and comfortable nature of the device will allow users to go about their daily activity without interruptions. Users can use the device as frequently as necessary. The compact device utilizes a proprietary immunological based technology to identify pathogens in breath or respiration. The proprietary technology is highly sensitive that is comparable to nucleic acids based tests.  A cell phone application will allow scan of RQ code printed on device to time the duration of sample collection, and the cell phone camera can be used to record resulting color development to assess infectivity of the user. The results will be readily readable.

Individual unit of AerosolEaseTM is for personal use to monitor personal health. If desirable, employers can provide the device for employee health compliance requirements. School nurse can quickly evaluate office visit pupils on contagious infectious potential. Military can monitor soldiers population for readiness. Public places like airport, transportation centers and stores can provide the device for screening purposes. Individual’s results from cell phone can be transmitted to a national or international database for epidemiological monitoring and tracking. The product is applicable worldwide for respiratory infectious diseases.  The initial product will be focused on COVID-19 virus, subsequent development will have products for influenza virus, influenza virus subtypes and other respiratory pathogens. During the product development, we will conduct alpha and beta test with demographically sampling groups with product improvement recommendations from focus group. Modification of products are expandable to veterinarian and live-animal agricultural industries.

The main challenge with rapid diagnostic test is that it gives false negative results due to its low to moderate sensitivities. In general, immunoassay based rapid tests are specific, but low in sensitivity when compare with nucleic acids based laboratory tests, resulting in false negative readouts.  False negative results provide false sense of security for the test population. Proprietary technology of AerosolEaseTM greatly improves the sensitivity of detection to the level as sensitive as most nucleic acids based tests, broad based clinical tests are required for final proof on accuracy of the test.