Technology Development (Tech Dev) Core The Technology Development Core of the Center for Innovation in Point-of-Care Technologies for HIV/AIDS at Northwestern University (C-THAN) will support the development of vital POC technology specifically designed for patient management of people living with HIV in low and middle income countries with emphasis on the diagnostic needs in sub-Saharan Africa. We will support technology projects specifically designed for low resource settings with low or limited medical infrastructure such as restricted access to electricity, refrigeration and/or central water supply. A successful test will be user friendly, requiring only local training in its operation and maintenance, manufacturable at low cost with low cost consumables, rapid result, durable, contain internal checks of device/assay performance, self-calibration and error diagnosis. Projects supported by C-THAN will conform to high priority topics of HIV/AIDS research, be amenable to the conditions of low resource environments, and have high likelihood of commercialization in developing countries. A unique feature of C- THAN is our commitment to fostering local technology development in LMICs by providing specific funding opportunities for home-grown solutions via coordinated efforts to specifically incubate POC technology for HIV care in LMICs. This goal is supported by our access to a network of emerging African biomedical engineering programs through our partners in Nigeria and South Africa. We will build a robust pipeline of POC technology by identifying diagnostic needs, recruiting projects that meet those needs, monitoring progress made in funded projects, providing services and mentorship to guide projects to maturity, and facilitating the transfer of projects for clinical evaluation. The output will be a pipeline of products of high clinical impact developed from a well- balanced research portfolio originating from the Technology Development Core.
