Tech Companies Still Fighting COVID-19

Infragistics Announces Ignite for Good Program During COVID-19

Infragistics, a company that provides UX and UI tools for designers and developers, has launched its Ignite for Good program. The program is designed to offer resources to support those working on COVID-19-related technology projects and provide assistance to small businesses and global customers, key aspects of the Ignite for Good program include:

(Image source: Infragistics)

OPTIMA Is Providing Support to Companies with Machine Solutions in Demand During the Crisis

The need for specific consumer goods and hygiene products, pharmaceuticals and medical technology has increased exponentially. The broad-based Optima Group has responded to this development by supporting customers with special machine solutions which can be flexibly adapted to suit the new market requirements. A new website provides information about the portfolio.

One particular machine is the OPTIMA SV / H filling and closing machine that can process three various types of container on one machine. The machine can be used for processing nested pre-filled syringes, vials and cartridges. (Image source: Optima)

Anchor Harvey Expands Medical Industry Forging Capabilities

Anchor Harvey, an aluminum forging company with more than 30 years of experience forging products for the medical industry, has announced the expansion of the company’s medical industry forging capabilities to meet the increasing demand for emergency medical supplies during COVID-19.

As part of the expansion, Anchor Harvey is joining forces with businesses across the nation to provide the ability and expanded capacity to meet the growing needs of America’s medical suppliers, including further broadening its product offerings for this industry and proposing ways to modify its regulator valves for fire suppression (part of self-contained breathing apparatuses) for ventilators and respirators. (Image Anchor Harvey)

MaskForce Consortium Speeds N95 Masks into Production

Recently, a consortium of Milwaukee-area manufacturers teamed up to help alleviate the shortage of N95 masks that hospital workers desperately need today.

The group, which calls itself MaskForce, has accomplished a lot in only three weeks. They collaboratively designed an innovative mask with a replaceable filter that can be worn for hours without discomfort. One partner helped to speed regulatory approvals and sourced filter media. And another has set up a manufacturing cell to produce at least 50,000 masks.

As part of the consortium, New Berlin Plastics donated engineering expertise and tooling for a revolutionary plug design that enables filters to be replaced in a matter of seconds. The design holds the filter securely in place, so all air passes through it, not around its edges. (Image source: New Berlin Plastics)

Applying Digital Precision Coatings to Combat COVID-19

Alchemie Technology has accelerated the launch of Novara, new high-throughput digital precision coating technology for technical textiles. The textile technology company is supporting the global efforts to combat COVID-19 by applying its Novara technology to the manufacture of safety-critical products including anti-viral facemasks. Alchemie is partnering with manufacturers worldwide to build production lines to address acute personal protective equipment needs and medical textile shortages.

The Novara technology 2D patterned one or two-sided functional coatings to technical textiles, enabling multi-functional textiles to be manufactured. Novara combines the throughput of conventional coating technologies with the precision of digital to unlock new product design opportunities and reduce the cost of technical textiles. The technology enables functional coatings to be applied with precision; all controlled with real-time digital data. (Image source: Alchemie)

Todos Medical Announces Positive Data for Serology Point-of-Care Fingerprick Antibody Test Kits

Vitro diagnostics company, Todos Medical has announced positive data for its Colloidal Gold point-of-care (POC) 2 to 10-minute fingerprick blood antibody test kits from a study of 71 patients with suspected COVID-19 infection. The data demonstrate that Colloidal Gold accurately distinguishes between COVID positive patients and COVID negative patients, as confirmed by PCR (Quest Labs), with sensitivity of 96.5% using fingerprick blood sample collection and specificity of 97.5% using fingerprick or venous blood sample collection. 

“A great number of countries, including the US, are developing strategies to begin to return their economies to work, and for that to be successful it is of the essence that we quickly determine who has recently been infected with COVID-19,” said Jorge Leon, senior medical advisor for Todos Medical.

Two Georgia Companies Unite to Provide Coronavirus (COVID-19) Testing

Omega Bio-tek is collaborating with Ipsum Diagnostics in the fight against COVID-19. Omega Bio-tek will supply its Mag-Bind Viral DNA/RNA 96 Kit as a vital element in Ipsum Diagnostics' approved RT-PCR-based SARS-CoV-2 assay. The US Food and Drug Administration granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to Ipsum Diagnostics for RT-PCR-based SARS-CoV-2 testing on April 1, which includes the Mag-Bind Viral DNA/RNA 96 Kit for viral RNA extraction. The Georgia Department of Health also issued an agreement with Ipsum Diagnostics to expand its state-wide testing utilizing the approved assay.  

Ipsum Diagnostics recognized Omega Bio-tek when other nucleic acid purification kit manufacturers could not supply a viral RNA extraction kit due to the high demand worldwide. The urgency in obtaining a sustainable RNA extraction kit was critical to validate the workflow for the FDA approval. (Image source: Omega Bio-tek)

Sterilucent Granted Emergency Use Authorization to Reprocess Respirators

Sterilucent is using a HC 80TT Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide Sterilizer for decontaminating single-use compatible N95 and N95-equivalent respirators. Test results have demonstrated that filtering facepiece respirators may be reprocessed for use during the COVID-19 pandemic in the HC 80TT Flexible Cycle up to 10 times without a detrimental impact on filtration performance or a significant reduction in respirator fit. The system can reprocess up to 12 respirators at a time.

“We are glad to be able to help extend the safe use of PPE for healthcare staff during this time of overburdened supply chains,” said CEO Stephen Loes. “The HC 80TT sterilizer can provide timely internal turnaround of PPE that helps extend a facility’s inventory and better manage supply disruption or unavailability.” (Image source: FDA)

uBreakiFix and Google Offer Free Pixel Smartphone Repairs to Those on the Frontlines of the COVID Crisis

uBreakiFix has teamed up with Google to offer free Pixel smartphone repairs for first responders and healthcare heroes in the United States, including law enforcement, police officers, emergency medical technicians, firefighters, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and nursing home and hospital staff.

An emergency responder or healthcare professional with a Google Pixel smartphone can present his or her ID badge at any of uBreakiFix’s more than 500 participating US locations to receive one free repair, regardless of the device model or type of damage. Common repairs include screen damage, charging port issues, battery replacements, camera issues, speaker issues, and even liquid damage in some cases. (Image source uBreakiFix)

Stratasys and Origin Will Produce Millions of 3D-Printed Nasopharyngeal Swabs for COVID-19 Testing

In response to the pressing need for more COVID-19 testing, Stratasys, Inc. and Origin have signed an agreement in which Stratasys will market and promote Origin 3D-printed nasopharyngeal swabs to healthcare providers and other testing centers in the U.S. Origin plans to increase production from 100,000 per week to over a million per week in May.

As widely reported, widespread testing of millions of people is currently hampered by a shortage of testing supplies. Each Origin One 3D printer has the ability to produce batches of 1,500 Origin NP O1 Swabs at a time, multiple times daily. Origin is moving towards a streamlined process allowing the production of approximately 190,000 per day, or 1.3 million per week. (Image source: Stratasys)