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ARPA-H kicks off work to advance next-generation personalized biosensors
Program-developed technologies empower individuals to “know thyself” by providing deep, real-time biological insights to support decisions about medical treatment and overall wellness
The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), today announced the teams receiving awards for the Delphi program. Delphi will replace today’s bulky, expensive, single-purpose biosensors — such as biosensors that only track heart rate or blood glucose — with tiny, modular microelectronic components (“chiplets”). These chiplets will be assembled like building blocks into devices capable of reporting expansive biological data critical for management of chronic conditions, including hormones, inflammatory markers, and medication levels. Delphi will create a paradigm shift in biosensor technology, advancing innovations that can track overall wellness and health management more accurately while being produced at low cost for virtually any medical application.
“Many people are empowered by the continuous glucose monitor for managing their blood glucose levels. Now imagine if you could track broader and more detailed information about other aspects of your health and help prevent life-threatening emergencies, better manage chronic conditions, support safe recovery from injury and illness at home, and promote overall wellness,” said Delphi Program Manager Leonard Tender, Ph.D. “With Delphi, ARPA-H is doing something fundamentally different — enabling development and driving widespread adoption of biosensors beyond blood glucose monitoring to individualized, affordable, precise, reliable, and reconfigurable biosensors. These state-of-the-art biosensors will improve how we track health, diseases, and recovery and transform how we understand, anticipate, and ultimately prevent diseases.”
Delphi teams will apply a microelectronics chiplet design strategy to biosensing, where specific functions (power management, signal processing, communications, post-quantum security, and biorecognition) are performed by separate, specialized, independent, interconnectable components. This approach opens the door for teams to create customized biosensor devices that are more comprehensive, precise, reliable, and cost-effective. All sensors will be developed as plug-and-play solutions, readily swappable with other wearable platforms. These devices will be designed to safely, securely, and continuously monitor the body’s inner signals that shape our health every day.
“Like the Greek legend of the oracle at Delphi, this program encourages all Americans to ‘know thyself,’” said Tender.
Performer teams are led by:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology: The team will develop a clinical-grade, extensible, wearable patch for continuous sensing of heart failure biomarkers. The sensor will be powered by the heat generated by the patient and will deploy advanced and power-efficient on-chip AI.
New York University: The team will develop a wearable to continuously monitor inflammation using microscopic probes right under the skin. Their system will deploy novel DNA-based sensors and harvest energy directly from RF sources including Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
University of Washington: The team will track perimenopause transition using a non-invasive sensor loaded with engineered proteins that measure biomarkers directly from sweat. By adjusting the sensor’s local pH, these proteins can be refreshed and reused, helping the sensor stay sensitive and reliable for longer periods.
Novelna Inc.: The team will develop a sensor to measure post-myocardial infarction inflammation to monitor patients after a heart attack and reduce hospital readmission. The wearable device will employ an advanced transmission method, utilizing the human body as a conduit to minimize signal loss and optimize power efficiency.
In the first 18 months of the program, teams must demonstrate full interoperability and adherence to post-quantum secure communication standards. At 24 months, teams will demonstrate the first prototype device in vivo and identify additional sensors to augment the range of detectable biomarkers. By 54 months, teams must have completed either a clinical trial (for minimally invasive wearables) or a human factor study (for non-invasive wearables).
From early prototype research and development to integration and regulatory preparation, to clinical trials and human factors testing, Delphi will accelerate safe, responsible use of these technologies in people’s lives. If successful, individuals and their care teams will be able to track a broad range of biomarkers, detecting the earliest signs of disease and fine-tuning treatments at home, thus reducing hospitalization.
The agency’s commitment for the Delphi program is up to $117.4 million over 4.5 years. Performer awards vary in funding amount per awardee and are contingent upon each team meeting aggressive and accelerated research milestones.
Learn more about Delphi on its program page.