{"id":47028,"date":"2026-04-29T14:51:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T18:51:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/engineering.jhu.edu\/cle\/?post_type=news&p=47028"},"modified":"2026-04-30T12:04:33","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T16:04:33","slug":"diagnostic-tool-combat-zones","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/engineering.jhu.edu\/cle\/news\/diagnostic-tool-combat-zones\/","title":{"rendered":"IRIS, a multiplex diagnostic tool, wins big at HopStart and Design Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, disease and nonbattle injuries are the leading cause of death\u00a0for\u00a0US military personnel in conflict zones.\u00a0<\/span>A study published in the journal <\/span>Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology<\/span><\/i><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/i>indicates\u00a0that milita<\/span>ry personnel are\u00a0also\u00a0three times as likely to contract respiratory infections as the general population.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In remote\u00a0areas of conflict, where access to hospitals and labs is limited,\u00a0diseases like malaria, dengue,\u00a0and\u00a0leptospirosis\u00a0pose a serious threat. These diseases\u00a0present with\u00a0a\u00a0vague set of symptoms that can often be misdiagnosed, delaying\u00a0timely, vital treatment.\u00a0In\u00a0many\u00a0cases, the military must evacuate\u00a0soldiers\u00a0from\u00a0combat\u00a0areas\u00a0for testing and treatment, which\u00a0can delay missions, exhaust time and resources, and endanger military personnel.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To\u00a0fill the void\u00a0of reliable and rapid testing for a range of infectious diseases\u00a0in remote combat areas, a\u00a0team\u00a0of\u00a0graduate\u00a0students in\u00a0the\u00a0<\/span>Center for Leadership Education<\/span><\/a>\u00a0has\u00a0developed a rapid, multi-pathogen diagnostic, called IRIS,\u00a0that can run on-site without lab equipment, electricity, or trained technicians.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIRIS was built around a simple but urgent need to make critical diagnostic decisions possible in places where lab infrastructure does not exist. Instead of using multiple single-disease tests or relying on complex equipment, IRIS brings a multiplex approach into one portable system,\u201d said Laxmi Sahithya Udtha, IRIS lead scientist and student in the MS in Global Innovation and Leadership through Engineering (MSIL) program. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Two

The IRIS prototype<\/p><\/div>\n

The team\u2019s multiplex diagnostic system detects common pathogens in a single kit, allowing on-site technicians to quickly diagnose a variety of diseases, including malaria, dengue, COVID, leptospirosis, and influenza A & B using blood or a nasal swab within an hour. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The project began in the CLE course Innovation and Design, which challenges students to \u201c<\/span>systematically decompose problems to understand root causes by researching trends and analyzing within political, economic, social, and technological contexts, in order to determine which problems were solvable, useful, and would foster innovative opportunities and solutions,\u201d said Contessa St. Clair, <\/span>IRIS\u00a0communications\u00a0lead<\/span>\u00a0and current MSIL student.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Designing a single cassette capable of testing for multiple pathogens that is also durable and easy for non-experts to use posed a challenge for the team. In rapid, point-of-care tests, lab-created antibodies latch onto antigens from the patient sample, called a \u201clock and key\u201d reaction, causing a visual change on a test strip. In a multiplex testing system, cross-reactivity increases, potentially affecting the accuracy of the tests. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“A<\/span>chieving high sensitivity without any<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>lab<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>instrumentation meant every\u00a0<\/span><\/span>component had to be carefully optimized, especially the selection and validation of antibody-antigen pairs<\/span>,\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Udtha<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>said. \u201c<\/span>Beyond that,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>d<\/span>esigning and ruggedizing the cassette to handle heat, humidity, and rough handling was just as important as biology itself. The challenge was not just building something that works, but something that works reliably anywhere.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"The

IRIS presenting their prototype during their Round 1 pitch at HopStart 2026<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cThis team did a particularly good job gaining a deep understanding of the science behind multiple diagnostic techniques,\u201d said Alissa Burkholder Murphy, director of the Multidisciplinary Engineering Design program and a faculty advisor on the project. \u201cThey were able to identify the most appropriate diagnostic technology\u2014Multiplex Lateral Flow Assays\u2014through literature and experts and develop a kit to address multiple infections relevant to combat zones. Their strength is in their multidisciplinary team with expertise that spans technology, healthcare, humanities, and the arts.\u201d <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After developing the technology to support their idea and building a prototype, the students competed in HopStart: Hopkins New Venture Challenge as a component of the Innovation and Design course. Throughout the two-semester course and in the competition, the team worked to develop a business plan and pitch under the guidance of a network of advisors and mentors, <\/span>including\u00a0NATO\u00a0representatives, researchers at Hopkins, and\u00a0medical technology SMEs.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The team partnered with\u00a0jHubMed, a unit of the United Kingdom\u2019s Cyber & Specialist Operations Command (CSOC), that works to deliver medical innovations for the UK military and more broadly in collaboration with NATO. The organization provided feedback on how the system should function in real scenarios and encouraged the team to carefully consider how the test may be used in high-pressure situations.<\/span><\/p>\n

Beyond guiding the team on the science and design of the diagnostic system,\u00a0jHubMed\u00a0also advised the team on their potential to commercialize their product.\u00a0\u201c<\/span>[jHubMed] gave us the most direct validation we received,\u201d said Kavin\u00a0Srirangarayan\u00a0Rangaraj, a student in the MS in Engineering Management program. \u201cThey walked us through the procurement pathways that matter \u2014 DIANA, NSPA, and bilateral DoD contracts. That conversation shifted our approach from \u2018build a device\u2019 to \u2018build a device that fits into an existing procurement structure.\u2019\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With this guidance,\u00a0they built both\u00a0an innovative\u00a0technology and an effective business plan.\u00a0\u201cThroughout the two-semester course, they had to identify and meet with technical subject matter experts,\u201d said MC Coghlan,\u00a0senior lecturer in the CLE and\u00a0one\u00a0of the team\u2019s advisors. \u201cThis kind of interaction across industries pushed their thinking and their ideas. The business acumen went from a general cost analysis to a deep understanding of competition and market potential.\u201d<\/span> <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Team

IRIS celebrating their first-place win at the HopStart 2026 awards ceremony<\/p><\/div>\n

Their mentors also helped them to understand that leading with the science does not always compel an audience. “Every audience wants to know the stakes,\u201d said IRIS lead product manager and MSIL student Alexa Fermin. Instead of beginning with the product, the team learned to paint a picture: a soldier with fever and joint pain entering a medic tent with limited resources. \u201cThis is not a vague user persona. It is a life and death moment where existing solutions aren\u2019t working. When we tell that story, specifically and viscerally, before revealing the solution, we\u2019ve watched the room shift. People lean forward. Tech stops being a product and becomes a solution to something tangible.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Their work paid off. On Friday, April 24, IRIS won first prize ($5000) in the healthcare category at HopStart, and on Tuesday, April 28 at Design Day, they were awarded a Media Spotlight Award ($1000), recognizing projects that have the potential to reach a broad audience through public-facing visual storytelling. Looking toward the future, the team plans to apply for a provisional patent for IRIS, secure additional funding through multiple channels, and looks forward to further opportunities for mentorship.<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

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