Innovation is the word of the month for Fast Radius and Higi.
These two Chicago companies — a 3D printing solution provider and healthtech kiosk producer — are working on projects and inking partnerships that aim to break new ground in their respective fields, and healthtech overall, all for the benefit of the general public.
How?
Fast Radius is working with researchers at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign to prototype microfluidic cartridges, which can generate 30-minute, no-lab-required COVID-19 test results at the point of care. While Higi earned inclusion in the Innovators’ Network at the American Heart Association, a move that will supply the company and its 100,000 daily users with all the Association’s heart-healthy guidelines and best practices.
But that’s not all. Learn more about what these two Windy City companies have been up to lately.
What they do: Fast Radius is an additive manufacturing, aka 3D printing, solutions provider that offers CNC machining, injection molding, product design and supply chain services.
Faster COVID-19 testing: Two years ago, Fast Radius and experts at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign started researching the viability of 3D-printing microfluidic cartridges — colloquially known as “labs-on-a-chip” — as a cost-effective and scalable way to accelerate the research and development of that technology, which is commonly used in medical diagnostics. When the pandemic started, the organizations shifted their research to optimizing this technology for expediting COVID-19 testing.
The influx of daily testing across the world has prioritized the need for fast, efficient testing. To meet this demand, Fast Radius designed and printed patented, market-ready prototypes of a microfluidic chip in five weeks. (That process usually takes a few years because the cartridges are so intricate.) The cartridges are designed for mobile point-of-care testing which would allow users to perform COVID tests and get results within 30 minutes, without sending results to a lab. Thus far, the 3D-printed cartridges have generated the same results as standard lab tests and the two teams will continue to collect data as they gear up for the regulatory approval process.
New partnership, new customers: Fast Radius became the first Chicago-based company to earn membership to HP’s Digital Manufacturing Network in June. The network was built to help customers worldwide connect with companies utilizing HP 3D printers to help them speed up their production and market delivery economically and without sacrificing quality. Each of the close to 100 international companies was evaluated on their end-to-end printing capabilities at scale and their manufacturing and quality processes.
“Fast Radius has proven their ability to meet the unique needs of customers and to scale production quickly and easily using its HP Jet Fusion solutions,” said Jon Wayne, HP’s 3D Printing and Digital Manufacturing head of global commercial business, in a press release.
In that same release, CEO Pat McCusker said Fast Radius has been using HP machines since 2018. The company currently uses HP Multi Jet Fusion printers at its Chicago and Louisville, Kentucky sites, and McCusker said he’s looking forward to working with new customers introduced through HP’s network.
What they do: Higi produces kiosks and software that help the public monitor and manage their blood pressure, weight, hydration and other aspects of their overall health.
Higi breaks new ground: In September, the Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS) announced that it was the first state in the country to install Higi kiosks in state facilities like government buildings, state correctional facilities and university buildings. The CMS delivers employee benefits to more than 450,000 employees of Illinois state agencies and university and retirement systems as well as their dependents. It recently rolled out a Be Well Illinois initiative aimed at improving the health of its members, which Higi’s kiosks will help support. Of the 10,000 Higi kiosks active nationwide, there are currently 77 in Illinois with plans to add another 23 as the pandemic subsides.
Helping the heart: The American Heart Association’s Innovators’ Network at the Center for Health Technology and Innovation welcomed Higi to its member group in September. The Center is dedicated to building relationships between healthtech companies meant to foster more innovative and scalable solutions that benefit the public’s health. Members of the network get access to the Association’s guidelines, recommendations and science as they develop their healthcare offerings. Higi aims to help its users better manage their blood pressure by integrating its kiosks and software with The Center’s suite of health management plans called CarePlans.
“This new health engagement enabled through CarePlans expands upon our shared educational and awareness efforts and brings a new channel for health access to consumers across the country, especially for those at high risk,” said Higi CEO Jeff Bennett in a press release.
