Philips lung ultrasound, Beckman sepsis diagnostic receive BARDA coronavirus backing

Dive Brief:

HHS' Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority on Monday shared news of a collaboration with Philips North America to speed development of an artificial intelligence-based ultrasound system for early diagnosis of lung injuries and diseases, including COVID-19.
BARDA said its investment aims to incorporate predictive machine learning algorithms into Philips' Lumify portable ultrasound technology that is compatible with handheld smart devices.
In a separate announcement, the agency said it's expanding a partnership with Beckman Coulter and Dascena to create a digital algorithm to detect sepsis in COVID-19 patients, Beckman Coulter disclosed Friday.

Dive Insight:

BARDA is stepping up partnerships with industry to develop medical countermeasures as part of the government's response to the coronavirus outbreak. Many of those efforts have been focused on testing. The agency in recent weeks has provided grants to Hologic to develop a high-throughput COVID-19 test and to OraSure Technologies to create a rapid test for coronavirus antigens that can be administered in the home.

The Philips ultrasound device is being developed to seek 510(k) clearance from FDA for the use of lung imaging in the diagnosis of patients with smoke inhalation injury and viral pneumonia, including COVID-19. With input from the American Burn Association and American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma, BARDA also identified a need for the technology to provide trauma exams and to detect compartment syndrome in which pressure builds to dangerous levels within the muscles of the extremities.

Philips will also develop a 3D ultrasound transducer for use in the exam effort for rapid diagnostic screening of patients with abdominal trauma.

BARDA's collaboration with Beckman Coulter will build on the company's existing Early Sepsis Indicator that gained FDA 510(k) clearance in April 2019. It will integrate Dascena’s predictive algorithm for sepsis to create a digital algorithm that is also expected to be submitted for FDA approval. The effort will focus on earlier prediction of viral-induced sepsis that can arise from SARS-CoV-2 infection.