COVID-19
Medical Applications - COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an urgent need for quick, non-invasive screening technology.
Non-invasive technology for screening and early intervention is key for saving lives.
With 185 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 around the world and 4 million deaths*, access to quick, non-invasive screening technology and early intervention is key for saving lives and reducing the economic impact.
Yet, to date, no breath-based COVID-19 diagnostics have been approved by the FDA or EMA. Ancon’s Machine Learning approach uniquely positions the company to take a leading market position.
*Source:World Health Organization, https://covid19.who.int/, 07/07/21
Ancon has developed a powerful proprietary machine learning software: MLBA
Ancon has developed a powerful proprietary machine learning software MLBA (Machine Learning Biomarker Analysis) to rapidly detect patterns of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) the chemicals that accompany virus multiplication in patients and circulate through the respiratory system in breath.We have combined Ancon’s proprietary MLBA with the breath spectra produced from a GC-IMS (G.A.S mbH).
The test procedure is non-invasive, simple and streamlined. Exhaled breath, containing VOCs, is collected via a disposable mouthpiece into a sample tube which is then placed into a desktop GC-IMS. In COVID-19 testing feasibility studies, results achieving clinical accuracy of greater than 90%, with sensitivity of 93% and specificity of 95% have been generated in under 10 minutes through our integrated machine learning algorithm (CoVBreath).
Trials are being conducted in a variety of settings including St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, a local testing centre near Heathrow Airport in the UK, and the Medical University of South Carolina in the USA.
COVID-19 Diagnostics: Ancon Differentiators
| Ancon Breath Test | Nucleic Acid Based Tests | Antigen Tests | Antibody Tests | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detects | Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) | Viral genetic material (RNA) | Proteins on surface of virus (spike proteins) | Antibodies against virus |
| Attributes* | Confirms active infection, high accuracy | Confirms active infection, high accuracy | Confirms active infection, lower accuracy | Confirms prior infection |
| Sample | Exhaled breath; non-invasive | NP / OP swab | NP / OP swab, saliva | Blood, plasma |
| Time / Cost | Minutes $ | Hours / days $$$ | Minutes $ | Minutes $ |
*The chance that a test is a true positive or a true negative depends not only on a test’s own reliability, but also on background rates of infection and whether a person shows symptoms