Imagine a smart sticker that does the work of a whole medical lab. It uses tiny needles to collect a drop of fluid from your skin and immediately tests it for viruses right on the patch. It doesn't need a battery or a clinic, making it as simple as wearing a bandage that gives you a medical result.
Current lab-quality diagnostics are confined to centralized laboratories, causing delays and failures in managing viral outbreaks. Existing Lab-on-Chip solutions are too complex, expensive, and difficult to scale for mass market use.
A self-powered microfluidic patch using biocompatible vitrimers and hollow microneedles for simultaneous sampling and analysis of infectious diseases.
If you are a device manufacturer dealing with the high cost and complexity of Lab-on-Chip integration — this project developed a microfluidic patch that enables sample-to-result testing in one step. This removes the need for off-chip sample preparation and expensive laboratory infrastructure.
If you are an organization dealing with deadly outbreaks like Ebola in low-income regions — this project developed a self-powered diagnostic patch. This allows for immediate testing in areas where resources are scarce and healthcare investment is low.
If you are a provider dealing with patients who avoid clinics due to stigma or cost — this project developed a self-sampling patch for HIV and Syphilis. This empowers patients to get lab-quality results without visiting a centralized facility.
The project utilizes roll-to-roll fabrication and mass fabrication technology to ensure the patches can be produced efficiently and cost-effectively. Based on available project data, this aims to overcome the high costs typically associated with Lab-on-Chip technologies.
Yes, the project specifically focuses on roll-to-roll fabrication and mass fabrication technology to move beyond laboratory prototypes to scalable manufacturing.
Based on available project data, specific patent or licensing details are not provided, though the project involves 2 SMEs and 4 universities developing the core material and engineering.
The microfluidic-based patch is designed to operate in a completely self-powered manner, removing the need for external electricity or batteries.
The project is active from 2023-08-01 to 2027-07-31, covering the full value chain from engineering to clinical validation.
The consortium is well-balanced for a translation project, consisting of 9 partners across 6 countries. With a 22% industry ratio (including 2 SMEs), the project blends deep academic research from 4 universities and 3 research institutes with commercial viability expertise, ensuring the technology is designed for mass fabrication from the start.
Contact the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven research office regarding the FORTIFIEDx project.
Contact us to connect with the FORTIFIEDx consortium for early licensing opportunities.
