Austrian low power sensor firm ams AG has received funding from two Austrian Government ministries to develop a smart device to provide accurate testing for Covid-19. The hand held device is directly connected to a "medical data cloud", does not require a laboratory, and can deliver accurate test results within 15 minutes. The two Austrian Government departments funding the new device are the Federal Ministry of Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK), and the Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs (BMDW). ams has used the funds to develop a connected, smart version of a lateral flow test (LFT) device. Lateral flow tests are a standard approach for rapid point of care (PoC) testing. LFTs, which are usually analogue devices, are typically intuitive and easy to use, and are subject to strict regulatory requirements. A pregnancy strip test is a typical example of an analogue LFT device. The challenge for ams was threefold: to cre
News and analysis on e-health, medical informatics, and clinical technology, with a focus on developments in Europe.