HHS aids burn imaging device development

The Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) has contracted with a firm to aid a burn imaging device’s development.

The two-year, $27.3 million contract with SpectralMD, Inc., of Dallas, Texas, advances the next-generation burn imaging device, DeepView, adding the project is part of a long-standing effort by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to develop new medical products that save lives during a radiological or nuclear emergency.

“We want to give medical providers as many modern tools as we can to help them save lives in disasters,” BARDA Director Rick Bright said. “An emergency situation with many burn casualties could overwhelm surgical facilities and specialized burn care providers. They need fast, accurate assessments of burn injuries to provide effective medical treatment and to guide appropriate use of limited burn care resources immediately.”

The work involves SpectralMD conducting an expanded feasibility clinical trial across five burn centers to further develop a portable hardware platform and the machine learning algorithm for faster processing and optimal performance.

The pact can be extended for up to a total of four years and up to $91.1 million and, if extended, would support algorithm training and validation studies as needed to seek FDA 510k clearance.