Startup founders unveiled the Hoope — a wearable device that will test for some of the most common sexually-transmitted infections (STIs) in the world.
The prototype model resembles a thumb ring, which has an embedded technology that takes and screens blood and will give test results along with health education on a mobile device.
The device promises to be a “lab-in-a-chip,” according to Hoope’s website.
The goal is to have the ring test for syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia and trichomoniasis, which infect 500 million people in the world each year, says the World Health Organization.
Ernesto Rodriguez Leal, PhD from Mexico developed the device in Silicon Valley at the Singularity University’s startup accelerator program, which brought 80 people from around the world.
“In this program I learned the tools needed to conceptualize social impact projects and transform the idea from the lab to an end product,” Leal told Investigación y Desarrollo.
The ambitious promises for the product include: 97 percent accuracy, secure technology for privacy, and results in minutes.
Furthermore, the startup claims the Hoope will have anesthetic system by which an electrical pulse generates numbness, preventing pain at the time of the puncture. Such a system does not seem to exist on home tests, including the widely-used blood glucose monitoring systems.
The technology has been tested at Colorado State University for syphilis with “excellent results,” says Leal. Syphilis is a bacterial infection by Treponema pallidum an infection that can cause severe complications, such as nervous system invasion, if not treated in time, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Leal may be overpromising with the device. Syphilis infection creates antibodies in the blood to fight against the invading bacteria. So, blood tests work with syphilis, but won’t work with other infections.
Planned Parenthood explains chlamydia and gonorrhea are tested by urine test or swab during a pelvic exam. Gonorrhea, which can infect the throat by oral sex may need a throat swab for diagnosis. Trichomoniasis is diagnosed by testing urethral or vaginal discharge.
Further, at-home testing for sexually-transmitted infections may not be the best way to protect teens and young adults. CDC guidelines on testing include counseling and education. There is complexity with testing because many people have multiple infections, including co-infection with hepatitis, HPV, and HIV.
If a person tests negative for any of these infections, then what happens? Diagnostic tests even in laboratories are prone to error.
Regulatory hurdles will be considerable for this medical device, even if it works as claimed. The FDA requires clinical studies on humans and extensive paperwork before it approves a device claiming to diagnose, treat, or cure. The EU has parallel systems that sometimes are stricter that than U.S.
The team is moving forward and is trying to solve the scientific and regulatory challenges.
The device will be made in China and advanced sales will start January 2016 through an Indiegogo campaign. The price tag is $50 USD, which will contain the ring and three cartridges. A sexual health app will be released first.
