At-Home Medical Laboratory Tests

2ND YEAR ON THE LIST

Rapid COVID-19 test kits accelerated in-home laboratory testing.

KEY INSIGHT

Technology is bringing the power of the laboratory into our homes. Smart toilets and mirrors will turn everyday routines into opportunities to detect early warning signs of illness. Health monitoring and testing will be seamlessly integrated into our daily lives.

EXAMPLES

COVID-19 fueled at-home collection and new platforms that can accurately detect viral infection from throat and nose swabs in less than 30 minutes. Early COVID tests required samples to be shipped to a lab, but in April 2021, the FDA approved home test kits by Cue Health that processed samples and sent test results directly to apps for patient review. Lucira had been working on an at-home flu test, but in 2020 it pivoted to focus on COVID. OutSense uses sensors in toilets to screen for dehydration, infection, and traces of blood. Similarly, Coprata, a startup spun out of Duke University, uses a fingerprint scanner on the toilet handle to track each individual’s health in multi-person households.

DISRUPTIVE IMPACT

The National Institutes of Health created the Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics initiative during the pandemic to accelerate commercialization of testing technologies. The NIH expects the changes to lower the cost of diagnostic testing and expand accessibility for at-home testing. Expanding capabilities and product offerings will disrupt clinical laboratory networks like Labcorp and Quest Diagnostics and eventually impact traditional primary care providers.

EMERGING PLAYERS

• Cue Health • OutSense • Coprata • Lucira • Healthy.io • Toto