GS Plastic Optics (GSPO), a Rochester, New York-based manufacturer of precision polymer optics, has been awarded a contract to produce optical components for a COVID-19 antibody testing platform developed by LightDeck Diagnostics, a Boulder-based diagnostic-testing company.
LightDeck GSwas recently awarded a $35.1 million contract to increase production capacity for their point-of-care product platform. LightDeck introduced a cutting-edge screening platform that can power SARS-CoV-2 Ultra-Rapid Antigen and COVID-19 Total Antibody Tests, providing results in as little as five minutes. It incorporates a highly-engineered laser waveguide with a consumable cartridge into which a sample is dispensed for testing. The contract was awarded on July 6, through a partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
GSPO has been chosen as the lead source for the waveguide, which is a key component to their point-of-care platform detecting the SARS-CoV-2 pathogen and other indications. The waveguide will be injection molded in the GSPO Rochester, NY facility.
GSPO reports that $5 million of the contract awarded to LightDeck will be allocated to equipment and facilities expansion at the GSPO Rochester, NY location. An 8,000 sq. ft. expansion of the existing injection molding building will house additional presses, tooling, automation, and ancillary equipment dedicated to the production of the LightDeck waveguide. The funding will allow GSPO to support LightDeck’s increase in production capacity to one million waveguides per month by Fall of 2022. In addition, the project will create as many as fifteen new jobs on the GSPO optics team.
“Today more than ever, our goal is to support the medical community in their great strides to improve the healthcare for our nation. Particularly during this pandemic, point-of-care testing is at the forefront of our minds, and we are dedicated to supplying precision components that are built to spec,” said the CEO of GSPO, Andy Germanow. “We are proud to be a trusted partner with LightDeck.”
Nick Traggis, CEO of LightDeck commented, “During the several years we have worked together with GSPO, we have built a trusting, collaborative relationship with their engineering and production teams. Their impeccable attention to detail aligns very well with our own product strategy, and they stand as a powerful domestic partner to support the scale of our testing capabilities.”
The original contract awarded to LightDeck has been funded through HHS/ASPR's Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response.
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