OMAHA, Neb.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--University Medical Devices (UMD), a cutting-edge healthcare technology developer, today announced the launch of its first specimen collection method, MicroWash. Developed at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, MicroWash is a comfortable and highly sensitive nasal lavage specimen collection device providing a less invasive alternative to nasal swabs.
In the coming months, the device is set to be piloted within select sectors of the healthcare industry to evaluate how well it integrates with existing clinical workflows. This will help refine the device before MicroWash’s broader market release in 2025.
“The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the need for higher-sensitivity test sampling options when it comes to upper respiratory infections – and as a group of medical professionals, we knew it would be critical to evolve beyond the swab,” said UMD Founder, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President Nicholas Lorenzo, MD, MHCM, CPE, FAAPL. “That’s why we created MicroWash. This initial introduction of the device is just our first step in bringing this markedly improved sampling experience to the wider medical community.”
MicroWash is a fast, easy-to-use and comfortable nasal sample device that can be used by healthcare professionals with minimal training in diverse clinical settings. It involves washing the nasal passage with sterile saline to collect a sample from the nose. The saline effluent specimen can then be used for diagnostic testing. Both internal and independent academic research supports MicroWash’s superiority, from sample sensitivity to user experience.
“Testing aversion has long been a barrier to effective disease management – We certainly saw that with COVID-19,” Lorenzo said. “We knew there was an urgent need to design a device that delivers superior sample sensitivity while prioritizing comfort and safety for both patients and providers. Let’s face it – no one enjoys a swab jammed up their nose. With MicroWash, that discomfort is history, and we have a better shot at mitigating future global pandemics.”
In addition to increased comfort and ease of use, the MicroWash:
- Collects a 2 mL sample, with an up to 49% increase in sensitivity compared to nasal swab samples
- Has a long three-year shelf life
- Leverages the same lab processes with fewer extraction errors
- Decreases clinician infection risk and is easily and reliably administered
Discover how MicroWash is setting a new standard in sample collection and sign up for updates on market availability.
About University Medical Devices
University Medical Devices is the medical device developer behind MicroWash. Its mission is to provide cutting-edge and highly reliable specimen collection systems that improve the patient experience.
The company’s leadership includes experts in neurology, emergency medicine, telehealth, urgent care, primary care, healthcare startup entrepreneurship and healthcare regulation with training at leading medical institutions across the U.S. They also have specialized expertise in biocontainment and pandemic medicine with the National Quarantine Unit — the only federally supported program of its kind — and were among the first to oversee isolation care and serial testing for COVID-19 patients returning to the U.S. at the beginning of the pandemic.
More at getmicrowash.com.
