The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday issued an emergency use authorization for what it said is the first device that can detect COVID-19 in breath samples.
The InspectIR COVID-19 Breathalyzer is about the size of a piece of carry-on luggage, the FDA said, and can be used in doctor’s offices, hospitals and mobile testing sites. The test, which can provide results in less than three minutes, must be carried out under the supervision of a licensed health care provider.
Dr. Jeff Shuren, director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, called the device “yet another example of the rapid innovation occurring with diagnostic tests for COVID-19.”
The FDA said the device was 91.2% accurate at identifying positive test samples and 99.3% accurate at identifying negative test samples.
“InspectIR expects to be able to produce approximately 100 instruments per week, which can each be used to evaluate approximately 160 samples per day,” the agency said. “At this level of production, testing capacity using the InspectIR COVID-19 Breathalyzer is expected to increase by approximately 64,000 samples per month.”
On this episode of Cheddar Reveals, Natalie Ginsberg, Global Impact Officer, MAPS, discusses the MAPS organization and its current initiatives and their work to get FDA approval for MDMA to treat PTSD; Kelsey Ramsden, Co-Founder, President & CEO, Mind Cure Health, breaks down what 'psychedelic therapy' could look like once it's legalized and how Mind Cure Health is using AI to help treat everything from addiction to depression; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Stream's 'Pain, Pus and Poison.'
Stan Farnsworth, chief marketing officer at PulseForge, joined Cheddar to talk about his company's debut at CES 2022 and how it plans to innovate the sustainable tech manufacturing space. PulseForge is bringing a new approach to industrial thermal processing, which contributes to 30 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to Farnsworth. "By using 85 percent less energy in the processing of materials through a variety of manufacturing processes, we can make a direct impact in reducing carbon output and reducing carbon footprint associated with manufacturing," he said.
The U.S. will be implementing a vaccine mandate for all people entering through its land borders, removing exemptions for "essential" travelers such as truckers, students, and business people. While the Canadian Trucking Alliance argues that the new, stricter rule might exacerbate ongoing auto supply chain issues, some health experts see the potential for helping curb the ongoing pandemic. Anthony Santella, a professor of health administration at the University of New Haven, joined Cheddar to give his take on the updated border crossing restriction. "We can't just focus on one type of travel. We need to ensure that it's clear and consistent across all types of travel," Santella said.
Mona Zhang, states cannabis policy reporter at POLITICO Pro joins Cheddar News to discuss major factors that caused Canada's retail marijuana sales to drop last year.
To encourage and inspire young women to pursue careers in STEAM, or science, technology, engineering, arts, and math, Space VIP has officially launched its New York Space Prize Challenge. Young women enrolled in the public school system within New York's five boroughs and are between the ages of 15 to 18 are welcomed to participate. Executive Director of Space Prize, Kim Macharia, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
According to a recent report from NASA and NOAA, the last eight years have been the eight hottest years on record. Director of NASA's Goddard Institute For Space Studies Gavin Schmidt, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Aditi Mayer, a climate justice activist joins Cheddar News to discuss her partnership with DoSomething.org and how a new PSA is working to shine a light on environmental racism.
The drama surrounding tennis star Novak Djokovic continues after he was deported from Australia over the weekend due to the nation's COVID-19 vaccine requirements. Djokovic was forced to leave the country on the eve of what was to be his first match in defense of his Australian Open title after three judges ruled in favor of his removal and revealed their reasoning for doing so. Adding to his woes, a law recently passed in France is putting his chances of defending his French Open title in jeopardy. The director of Marist's Center for Sports Communication, Jane McManus, joined Cheddar to discuss the ongoing fallout.
On this episode of Cheddar Innovates: Vrai CEO discusses the process of creating lab grown diamonds, Entrupy CEO breaks down how the app uses artificial intelligence to analyze authenticity for luxury goods and sneakers; A look at Curiosity Stream's 'Red Elvis.'
