Ontario-based, Nicoya Lifesciences, is in the process of completing a prototype of a low-cost, single-use device that tests for active SARS-CoV-2 infection, variants and, eventually, other viruses. The novel test is called Atlas.
Users administer the Atlas test themselves with a simple saliva collection kit. After that, a smartphone application provides results, in only 20 minutes – without complex lab equipment or highly trained technicians.
Atlas was developed with funding from the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) as part of a joint challenge issued with the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) through the government’s Innovative Solutions Canada (ISC) program.