Astek Diagnostics and UMBC’s Center for Research in Emerging Manufacturing (CREM) Partner to Implement Artificial Intelligence in Medical Device Manufacturing through Maryland Industrial Partnership Program (MIPS)
Baltimore, MD - September 17, 2024
Astek Diagnostics (Astek) is pleased to announce a strategic collaboration with Dr. Nilanjan Banerjee and the Center for Research in Emerging Manufacturing (CREM) at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). This partnership, facilitated through the Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS) program, aims to revolutionize medical device manufacturing by incorporating advanced Machine Learning (ML) and Large Language Models (LLM) into the design and production processes.
The focus of this collaboration is to address the challenges of high costs and lengthy iteration times typically encountered in the development of complex microfluidic devices. By integrating AI-driven technologies, the partnership has already yielded impressive results. The first prototype has reduced the design process from an average of seven weeks to just a few hours, representing a significant leap forward in efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
This breakthrough will not only enhance Astek Diagnostics' manufacturing capabilities but also holds promise for accelerating the development of microfluidic cartridges for other MedTech startups. Future efforts in this collaboration will focus on refining the system to handle more intricate designs, with a beta prototype slated for testing by a select group of industry partners.
About Dr. Nilanjan Banerjee, CREM, UMBC:
Dr. Nilanjan Banerjee is a Professor at the Department of Computer Science, UMBC. He is the Director of the Center for Research at CREM, a state-of-the-art Operational Technology Cyber Range. It is one of the five cyber ranges in the United States that focuses on Industry 4.0, digitization, and Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality systems.
Dr. Banerjee is also an Associate Director of Cybersecurity in Manufacturing at UMBC. He also serves as co-founder and CEO at Tanzen Medical, Inc. and CSO at LifePlus, Inc. His research and commercialization efforts have been highlighted in several news outlets including the Baltimore Sun, the Washington Post, and the MIT technology review.
About Astek Diagnostics:
Astek is a precision diagnostics company developing the Jiddu™ Platform to confirm bacterial infections and assess antibiotic sensitivity across multiple sample types: urine, CSF, would effluent, and blood. Astek has prioritized going to market in 2025 with a urine-based test which identifies urinary tract infections and antibiotic sensitivity in one hour. The company is part of the Y Combinator (S21) and has received support from Harvard University, NSF, FDA, BARDA, NIH and numerous VC funds and angel investors.
About MIPS
The MIPS program fosters job creation and innovation by connecting Maryland companies with the research expertise and resources of the University System of Maryland (USM). Since 1987, MIPS has supported the development of new and improved products, contributing to over $48 billion in sales and the creation of more than 8,600 high-tech jobs. Through collaborative, university-based research projects, funded jointly by MIPS and participating companies, MIPS plays a vital role in advancing economic development and technological innovation across Maryland.
