Clinical informatics startup Ovation.io launches pooled testing to boost COVID-19 offering

Ovation.io, Inc. makers of revolutionary solutions for molecular diagnostic labs, has announced support for pooled infectious disease testing, specifically COVID-19 testing, helping universities and large corporations to bring faculty, students and employees back to work safely and efficiently. This pooled testing builds on existing infrastructure being used by a growing network of labs currently testing for COVID-19 on an individual basis.

Ovation’s lab information management system (LIMS) delivers a turnkey COVID-19 solution for molecular diagnostics labs. With end-to-end support from sample accessioning, through lab workflows to clinical, state and federal reporting, Ovation enables labs to be fully operational with COVID-19 testing in days instead of months.

With advanced capabilities to automate tracking and deconvolution of pooled samples, labs using Ovation are now able to multiply their throughput and significantly improve efficiency. Ovation supports qPCR, antigen, and serology testing for COVID-19.

The University of Alabama Birmingham and supporting labs announced that they adopted Ovation’s Lab Operating Software for COVID-19, molecular and genomics testing. Out-of-the-box support for complex molecular diagnostic workflows and seamless integration with ecosystem partners ensure that customers meet even the most ambitious launch timelines.

Dr. Ralph Zottola, Assistant Vice President of Information Technology, UAB: “We needed to find a long-term, strategic partner to provide UAB with a LIMS platform to manage testing in our molecular labs. We also had an immediate need to develop and implement a complex, customized laboratory workflow to handle a large volume of COVID-19 testing required for student reentry to all higher education institutions in Alabama. Ovation delivered a fully integrated LIMS in just three weeks.”

Dr. Alexander C. Mackinnon, Director of Genomics Diagnostics and Bioinformatics, UAB: “Ovation’s pooling solution for COVID-19 testing allows us to test more samples at the same time.“We are thrilled to bring pooled COVID-19 testing to the market in an effort to dramatically increase testing capacity during this growing pandemic. Ovation’s ability to develop and deliver this cutting-edge solution to our customers highlights the potential of technology to enable ambitious efforts in healthcare. Initiatives to safely bring students back to school, such as the one being undertaken by UAB, are critical to our country's efforts to contain the virus while continuing vital activities, and we are proud to be a part of supporting that effort,” said Dr. Barry Wark, co-founder and CEO of Ovation.io.

Per CDC guidance, pooled testing is optimized to screen predominantly negative asymptomatic populations, including students returning to a campus, where the number of positive test results is expected to be low.

www.ovation.io