Healthcare
Reusable readers for faster, simpler tests
Imagine a world where high-precision medical testing is no longer confined to the clinical lab but is readily accessible in the comfort of your own home. It turns out this is not a futuristic vision but a present reality, thanks to the pioneering efforts of med-tech company Qassay. With the introduction of their handheld, portable lateral flow reader for self-testing kits, the Spanish company is set to transform the landscape of rapid testing, making it more democratic, digital, secure, and efficient.
Challenge
- Downsize laboratory-grade equipment into pocket-sized device while maintaining accuracy
- Guarantee safe and reliable data handling from day one
- Ensure health data confidentiality with uncompromised connectivity performance
Solution
- STM32WBA series for its performance, low-power consumption, and security features
- Implementation of additional, secure data transfer protocols with ST’s microcontroller
Impact
- Save precious time — 1,000 medical-grade tests on a single charge
- Convenient and secure — Immediate and secure transmission to medical professionals
- Cost reduction for healthcare systems — Reduction of traditional testing costs
At-home testing: a leap in healthcare accessibility
Qassay is on a mission to democratize rapid testing and build a more inclusive healthcare ecosystem. Their innovative lateral flow reader is a first-of-its-kind, pocket-sized device that can detect diseases, infections, or health markers from a simple liquid sample in under five seconds – be it SARS, Dengue, or a lack of vitamin D.
This remarkable technology brings lab-level precision into the hands of patients and health practitioners, enabling the detection and quantification of low-concentration analytes with unprecedented sensitivity. Their lateral flow reader is a marvel of modern technology, blending advanced electronics, multispectral sensors, and sophisticated algorithms with a user-friendly mobile application and cloud-based software.
Downsizing large equipment to an on-the-go reader
Qassay faced significant challenges in creating a compact yet robust device that matches the performance of laboratory-grade readers.
The company quickly chose the STM32WBA microcontroller (MCU) series for its ability to deliver the highest level of security (PSA L3 certified) while meeting the stringent requirements of a battery-operated device. Enabled by the Arm Cortex core and running at up to 100 megahertz, the STM32WBA provides the necessary processing power to run data acquisition algorithms for spectral sensors.
At the same time, its multiple low-power modes help reduce battery size, decreasing the overall weight without compromising the number of readings per charge.
“
Downsizing large medical testing equipment to a pocket-size device is no easy task. When ST presented the STM32WBA MCU series,
we knew we had found the ideal microcontroller.”
Gorka Alapont, Business Development Manager, Qassay.
How Qassay fused connectivity and security
The reader measures light intensity using LEDs and a spectrometric sensor, with users guided through the process by the accompanying smartphone app. Data is seamlessly and securely transferred to the cloud for analysis. This secure data handling is made possible by ST’s wireless microcontroller at the heart of the device's operation — the STM32WBA. The microcontroller facilitates encrypted communication between the device and the cloud-based app, maintaining patient data confidentiality.
For Qassay, secure and encrypted connections between the microcontroller and application were crucial to their commitment to data security. Secure Boot, a pivotal feature of the STM32WBA, adds an essential layer of security, preventing unauthorized access and manipulation of the medical device and avoiding the production of false results.
“
Data security in healthcare is paramount, we quickly settled on the STM32WBA for its security offer.
”
Gorka Alapont, Business Development Manager, Qassay.
The result — An affordable, medical-grade, self-testing kit
This innovative device stands out in an era where efficiency and cost-effectiveness are paramount. Having secured the coveted CE certification from Europe — one of the most rigorous regulatory standards globally — Qassay’s device is not only advanced but also meets stringent safety and performance criteria.
The Qassay reader redefines convenience with its reusable design, capable of performing a myriad of tests on a single charge. When power runs low, users can easily recharge it via a simple USB cable. Such convenience and affordability are crucial in tropical countries, such as Brazil, where Dengue fever cases have surged annually over the last five years. The increasingly extreme weather events fuel the spread of this mosquito-borne illness in the Americas and Africa, making accessible testing more important than ever. This is merely an example, many other countries around the world deal with outbreaks on an annual basis.
“
1,000 tests on a single charge
— that's a significant time saver.
Brazil registered a million cases of dengue fever this year. Just imagine what a medical-grade, at-home testing kit could do in such scenarios.”
Gorka Alapont, Business Development Manager, Qassay.
Beyond patient care, the many benefits of self-testing kits
For many healthcare professionals, conducting tests can cost hundreds of dollars and take valuable time away from patient treatment. In the past, that has often led to those tests not being performed at all. Qassay’s lateral flow reader addresses this pain point by providing a convenient, at-home testing solution that eliminates the need for costly and time-consuming in-office tests.
The implications for healthcare are profound, as the reader eliminates traditional waiting periods for results, enabling immediate and secure data coordination and transmission to medical professionals. This facilitates swift decision-making and ultimately saves time and resources for healthcare systems.
