To win the attention of investors and get traction in the market, developers must deliver a platform that is differentiated. It needs to be optimized for a more distributed POC environment and provide a broad range of assays with results that are highly actionable. At the same time, it’s important to move quickly as time to market is critical.

Executing on this strategy requires resolving the complexity that comes with designing a truly differentiated POC platform. At Invetech, we believe there are 3 critical elements that need to be considered to get it done:

Usability is an important differentiator for any product, potentially giving it greater reach in the marketplace. With 50% of internet content being consumed on a mobile device, it should be no surprise that the user experience for POC applications, including device connectivity, is critical.

A thorough understanding of the user experience (the users, use scenarios and environment where the instrument will be used) is an important design input for diagnostic devices and is also needed for regulatory approvals. Furthermore, identifying potential usability issues early in the design process will eliminate expensive redesigns down the road.

Another situational shift is becoming apparent when looking at some of the new players in the healthcare economy. Few think of Apple as a medical device company, but their recent 510(k) clearance confirms that it’s not only startups exploring opportunities in near-patient health management.

New technologies including cloud computing, miniaturized imaging, machine learning, artificial intelligence, CRISPR, and more are enabling incredible new solutions for complex assays that were, until recently, locked up in expensive instrumentation. Developers should be assessing how their product strategy may benefit from new technologies to improve efficiencies and realize competitive advantage through differentiation.