Open AccessC-THAN: A new research center for the development of point-of-care technology for HIV/AIDS
Author(s) -
Sally M. McFall,
Mamoudou Maiga,
Matthew R. Glucksberg,
Kara Palamountain,
Chad J. Achenbach,
Robert L. Murphy
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
global health innovation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2617-1155
DOI - 10.15641/ghi.v2i2.822
Subject(s) - commercialization , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , medicine , point of care , tanzania , tuberculosis , point of care testing , biomedical technology , business , family medicine , nursing , pathology , engineering , marketing , geography , environmental planning , agricultural engineering
The Center for Innovation in Point-of-Care Technologies for HIV/AIDS at Northwestern University (C-THAN) is a partner in the Point-of-Care Technologies Research Network (POCTRN) of the National Institutes of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. POCTRN's mission is to drive the development of appropriate point-of-care (POC) diagnostic technologies through collaboration that merges scientific and technological capabilities with clinical need. C-THAN develops POC technologies for improved management of HIV/AIDS in low- and middle-income countries with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa. C-THAN incorporates clinical and user needs with technology expertise and resources to address commercialization and implementation barriers through: 1) assessment of unmet clinical needs in POC testing for HIV/AIDS and its comorbidities; 2) collaborations with physicians, researchers and engineers; 3) development of technical, clinical, industrial and regulatory partnerships; 4) clinical testing of prototype devices; and 5) creation of training opportunities for technology developers, evaluators, and other stakeholders. Technologies supported include tests for detection and monitoring of HIV/AIDS and its common comorbidities including tuberculosis, non-tuberculous mycobacteria, viral hepatitis and HIV-related malignancies. CTHAN relies on collaborations established by Northwestern University in Nigeria, South Africa, Mali and Tanzania, to have impact on the prevention and clinical management of HIV/AIDS.