Clinical Studies Core

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RESEARCH SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The goal of this initiative is to fast-track the implementation of carefully selected CAPCaT-supported projects that can help address the urgent healthcare issues created by the COVID-19 pandemic. The extent and urgency of the situation requires an aggressive approach to accelerate the delivery of solutions to address the immediate needs. The proposed approach augments the strong technical, clinical and commercialization expertise of CAPCaT to get needed solutions into practice within weeks to months. The Center for Advancing Point of Care Technologies (CAPCaT) in Heart, Lung, Blood, and Sleep Diseases is an offshoot of a highly successful medical product incubator, the Massachusetts Medical Device Development Center (M2D2) at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and Medical School campuses. The founding goal of M2D2 was to accelerate the development of medical devices, combining the engineering and business expertise of UMass Lowell (UML) with the clinical expertise of UMass Medical School (UMMS) in Worcester. Expanding upon the vision and success of M2D2, the goal of CAPCaT is to support projects to develop and optimize novel point of care technologies (POCT) to improve the diagnosis and management of heart, lung, blood, and sleep diseases. We have focused on these diseases because of the significant morbidity, mortality, and cost associated with these diseases. Combined, these diseases account for 41% of deaths in the US and lead to over $400B in direct health care expenses plus lost income to affected patients and caregivers. UMass has an established track record of clinical expertise and technology development in the HLBS diseases. CAPCaT funds projects that are in the later stages of POCT development, with a focus on the clinical validation of those devices. CAPCaT, along with M2D2, has a network of industry partners and funders to support the development and commercialization of promising technologies. Among our industry partners are Johnson & Johnson, Boston Scientific, Amgen, and Hologic. CAPCaT is one of four Point of Care Technology Research Network (POCTRN) Centers (Emory/GA Tech, Northwestern, and Johns Hopkins University house the others). CAPCaT has worked with the other POCTRN Centers and its Coordinating Center (CIMIT-Mass General Hospital) and our scientific and program officers at NHLBI and NIBIB to review the situation and to understand unmet needs and resources accessible by the network that can make a difference.