Keith, they are working to get funding to develop Firefly. See the most recent PR on PSID's web page:
Aug 18, 2016
PositiveID to Present and Exhibit at the Next Generation Dx Summit August 23-26
PositiveID's President to Present "Mobile Labs: Bringing Labs to the Point of Need" and Chief Scientist to speak on "Disruptive Innovation in Laboratory Medicine: Game-Changing Technologies and Approaches" panel
DELRAY BEACH, Fla., Aug. 18, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PositiveID Corporation ("PositiveID" or "Company") (OTCQB:PSID), a life sciences company focused on detection and diagnostics, announced today that it will present and exhibit as a premier sponsor at the Next Generation Dx Summit from August 23-26, 2016, at the Grand Hyatt Washington in Washington, D.C. PositiveID's President, Lyle L. Probst, will feature the Company's E-N-G Mobile Systems subsidiary, a leader in mobile laboratories, in his presentation: "Mobile Labs: Bringing Labs to the Point of Need."
PositiveID's Chief Scientist, Dr. Kimothy Smith, will be a panel speaker during the "Disruptive Innovation in Laboratory Medicine: Game-Changing Technologies and Approaches" session. The Company will also exhibit its mobile labs, molecular diagnostics and medical device businesses.
PositiveID's E-N-G Mobile Systems ("ENG") business is a leader in engineering and producing its proprietary MobiLab™ Systems, mobile labs for biological, chemical, radiological and nuclear testing applications. Over 400 ENG MobiLabs are in operation throughout the world. ENG was the first company to install gas chromatography in a mobile lab, and is a pioneer in developing mobile platforms that allow standard laboratory-grade instruments to be operated successfully in the field.
During the plenary session, Smith will feature PositiveID's Firefly Dx, a point-of-need ("PON"), handheld system designed to deliver molecular diagnostic results from a sample in less than 30 minutes, compared to hours or even days for a lab device, using real-time PCR (polymerase chain reaction) chemistry. Firefly's applications include PON, lab-quality, detection of pathogenic organisms; agricultural and food screening in both domestic sectors and developing countries; and detection of biological agents associated with weapons of mass destruction.
The Next Generation Dx Summit convenes more than 1,000 international diagnostic professionals for valuable networking and comprehensive programming spanning from clinical diagnostics to business strategy. Now in its eighth year, the event has grown to include novel immunotherapy biomarkers, cell-free DNA, companion diagnostics, infectious disease, point-of-care, pharmacy-based diagnostics, commercialization, and reimbursement.
Now would they present a medical device that does not work as a presenter and exhibitor to a national summit conference convening more than 1000 international diagnostic professionals in D.C.?
Also they using GenArraytion's Bioassay test to detect the Zika virus on their Firefly device:
May 25, 2016
PositiveID Successfully Detects the Zika Virus on its Firefly Dx Prototype System
PositiveID uses assay partner GenArraytion's Zika test, the first commercially available multi-plexed PCR-based molecular test to identify dual lineages of the Zika virus
DELRAY BEACH, Fla., May 25, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PositiveID Corporation ("PositiveID" or "Company") (OTCQB:PSID), a life sciences company focused on detection and diagnostics, announced today that it has successfully detected the Zika virus on its Firefly Dx polymerase chain reaction ("PCR") breadboard prototype pathogen detection system ("prototype system"). Zika is a fever-causing virus transmitted by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito that can cause microcephaly, a serious congenital condition in which babies are born with head and brain abnormalities, and Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that can result in paralysis.
PositiveID used assay partner GenArraytion, Inc.'s Aedes Aegypti MultiFLEX™ Bioassay test, which targets four genetic regions of the Zika virus, on PositiveID's Firefly Dx prototype system. The Zika virus test works with an existing GenArraytion MultiFLEX™ Bioassay panel that targets viruses that cause dengue fever, yellow fever and Chikungunya, which are also carried by the same mosquito and are known to cause febrile disease in humans. This test both identifies and discriminates between the Zika African and Brazilian lineages.
PositiveID is developing the Firefly Dx prototype system to be a handheld, fully automated, lab quality, real-time device able to detect bio-threats at the point of need. Currently, PCR tests are run on large lab equipment and take a minimum of four hours to deliver results. A design advantage of Firefly Dx is that it does not require additional equipment or separate steps for sample preparation and purification, unlike current lab-based equipment, thus reducing time to results as well as cost per test. In addition, there is significantly less chance of sample contamination compared to existing testing methods.
"Rapid identification of Zika at the source could drastically help containment measures and therefore control transmission of the virus," stated William J. Caragol, Chairman and CEO of PositiveID. "With grave concerns about the effects of Zika on pregnant women, having the ability to quickly and accurately identify Zika and other bio-threats at the point of need without having to take samples back to a lab, which is the fundamental value proposition of Firefly Dx, could help protect the lives of unborn children."
The Firefly Dx prototype system has also successfully detected a number of other pathogenic organisms including E.coli, influenza, MRSA, MSSA, C. diff and others.
You can also go to GenArraytion's website for more details and confirmation. This works, but funding depends of the wheels of government which turn slowly.
