Altratech’s first commercial product is a fully integrated HIV viral load (VL) test designed to deliver quantitative molecular results directly from 150 µL of whole blood, with a target analytical sensitivity of <200 copies/mL. The assay is being developed specifically to support decentralized testing in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where affordability, portability, and ease of use are critical barriers to widespread molecular diagnostics.

Enabled by Altratech’s low-cost semiconductor detection architecture and simplified cartridge design, the platform is intended to provide laboratory-quality performance at a significantly reduced cost per test. In addition to nucleic acid detection, the same platform and assay architecture can concurrently perform serology testing, enabling combined molecular and antibody-based analysis within a single integrated system.

The platform’s use of bioorthogonal PNA probes also provides exceptional flexibility: the disposable cartridge can be rapidly adapted to new viral targets simply by changing the PNA capture sequence on the input magnetic beads, creating a highly versatile and scalable diagnostic platform for emerging infectious diseases.