The Meadows School in Las Vegas has partnered with Tiger Tech Solutions, Inc. to test the first machine learning-based COVID-19 non-diagnostic screening device. The results of this confirmatory study, in conjunction with a validation study done at a medical center and a clinic in Miami, earned the Tiger Tech COVID Plus Monitor an emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on 19th March.
The COVID Plus Monitor is an armband embedded with light sensors and a small computer processor that non-invasively checks for abnormalities in the wearer’s biometrics that may indicate a possible COVID-19 infection. The Meadows School has been using the COVID Plus Monitor since July 2020 as an additional risk mitigation tool primarily amongst their high school student-athletes, as the nature of athletic competition made them the highest-risk population on campus.
Jeremy Gregersen, Head of School, said: “We have been proud to partner with Tiger Tech not only to support the health and safety of our campus but also to aid in providing vital research to hopefully aid in opening schools across the world.”
Gregersen added: “We are constantly looking for ways to enhance our ability to address the risks posed by the coronavirus pandemic. The non-invasive nature, reliability, and effectiveness of this device make it a real game-changer for schools.”
In a statement released by the FDA, Jeff Shuren, M.D., J.D., Director of FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said: “Combining the use of this new screening device, that can indicate the presence of certain biomarkers, with temperature checks could help identify individuals who may be infected with the virus, thus helping to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in a wide variety of public settings, including healthcare facilities, schools, workplaces, theme parks, stadiums, and airports.”
