Immunology company collaborates in bringing advanced AI capacity to point of care

Digital & Innovation: As a leading provider of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, the Brainchip Research Institute in Perth has entered into a research collaboration with precision immunology company Biotome who are developing next generation antibody diagnostics.

Dr. Samuel Lundin, CEO of Biotome said “We believe the precision of antibody tests for infections can be improved dramatically. Our partnership with Brainchip is an important step for our development of point-of-care tests that are based on patented high-precision immunological markers. We are very excited to explore how the cutting-edge Akida neural processor can improve the accuracy and information quality of the antibody-tests we are developing, by providing advanced AI capacity at the point of care. The joint project we are embarking on aims to use Akida to identify the antibodies that can protect against SARS- CoV-2 infection – the so-called neutralising antibodies. If the project is successful we will apply the same principles to other antibody tests in our pipeline.”

The objective of the Biotome research project is to create a handheld device that uses nanomaterial-based sensors in combination with the Akida chip that will give accurate results in seconds.

Peter van der Made, Interim CEO of BrainChip, said “The use of the Akida neuromorphic processor in antibody detection and other medical diagnostic tools is a testimony to our efforts to help in the development of beneficial Artificial Intelligence applications around our chip. Our focus is the Akida neuromorphic processor, and we are a silicon manufacturer, but we are assisting our clients in bringing advanced AI products to market”.

The Akida processor is an essential part of this development in its ability to learn new sensory data patterns instantly, and classify the results in milliseconds at a power consumption in the microwatts range. This enables the use of advanced diagnostic equipment that operates on small batteries in even remote locations.

BrainChip’s Akida chip brings artificial intelligence to the edge in a way that existing technologies are not capable. The solution is high-performance, small, ultra-low power and provides a wide array of capabilities. The Akida (NSoC) and intellectual property, can be used in applications including Smart Home, Smart Health, Smart City and Smart Transportation.

These applications include but are not limited to home automation and remote controls, industrial IoT, robotics, security cameras, sensors, unmanned aircraft, autonomous vehicles, medical instruments, object detection, sound detection, odour and taste detection, gesture control and cybersecurity. The Akida NSoC is designed for use as a stand-alone embedded processor or as a co-processor, and includes interfaces for ADAS sensors, audio and video sensors, medical sensors and other IoT sensors.