PercuSense Awarded $4.6M DIU/DTRA Contract to Develop Continuous Biosensor System for Early Detection of Toxic Chemical Exposure
VALENCIA, Calif., May 28, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- PercuSense, Inc., an intelligent biosensor and digital health company dedicated to improving healthcare through the use of multi-analyte sensor systems to predict and prevent disease progression, today announced it has been awarded funding from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to develop a continuous monitoring platform for early detection of toxic chemical exposure. PercuSense will leverage its continuous monitoring platform to create a field deployable on-body system capable of rapidly identifying chemical exposure and providing real time alerts to drive threat reduction measures and treatment interventions.
"We are grateful to be recognized by DTRA for our cutting-edge technology, our experienced team, and our history of solutions-oriented development," said Brian Kannard, CEO of PercuSense. "This award will support our mission to be the leading biosensor company, providing simple solutions to monitor critical biomarkers for a variety of diseases, environments, and conditions. This support will enable us to expand our sensing platform and make a positive impact on military service members and first responders with rapid identification of exposure to toxic chemicals."
The multi-year $4.6M contract will fund the development of a tailored system for military personnel and first responders. The award will help the company develop sensing electrodes formulated specifically to identify the consumption of toxins, such as nerve agents, opioids, and mustard agents.
The Defense Innovation Unit identifies commercial industry solutions to support the U.S. military, and through this process, the organization facilitated finding a new solution for detecting indicators of chemical exposure on behalf of DTRA.
"Since its founding, PercuSense has been focused on developing sensing technology aimed at continuously and simultaneously measuring physiological relevant molecules through a novel minimally invasive sensor system," said Rajiv Shah, Founder and Chairman of PercuSense. "We are thrilled to be collaborating with DTRA and DIU to leverage this technology to support development of a wearable sensor capable of detecting the early signs of toxic chemical exposure. The project is especially gratifying when looking at the opportunity to protect the men and women of the military who are tasked with protecting all of us."
About PercuSense
PercuSense is focused on developing next generation continuous sensing platforms that enable prediction, intervention, and prevention in chronic diseases and acute conditions including diabetes management and in-hospital monitoring. PercuSense's unique technology enables low-cost monitoring of a variety of analytes, including glucose, lactate, oxygen, and ketones, to bring affordable and actionable continuous monitoring to the market. PercuSense's vision is to provide the right information in the right moment in order to improve outcomes, cost, and burden in settings and diseases across the healthcare spectrum. For more information, please visit percusense.com.
About DTRA
The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), an agency within the United States Department of Defense (DoD), is the official Combat Support Agency for countering weapons of mass destruction (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high explosives). The Defense Threat Reduction Agency enables DoD, the U.S. government, and international partners to counter and deter weapons of mass destruction and improvised threat networks. Under the auspice of the Chemical and Biological Defense Program, DTRA has the responsibility to manage and integrate the DoD chemical and biological defense science and technology programs. DTRA's continued effort to enhance the combat support mission also advances public health services by developing innovative technologies that protect against biological threats. For more information, visit dtra.mil.
About Defense Innovation Unit
The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) accelerates the adoption of commercial technology throughout the military and growing the national security innovation base. DIU partners with organizations across the Department of Defense (DoD), to rapidly prototype, field and scale advanced commercial solutions that address national security challenges. For more information, visit http://www.diu.mil.
SOURCE PercuSense, Inc.
