NIA Small Business Showcase: SafetySpect, Inc.

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Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns about antibiotic resistance, norovirus, and foodborne illnesses were causing families to hesitate about sending loved ones to long-term care facilities (LTCFs). The pandemic exacerbated those fears, as LTCFs suffered a disproportionate impact, with their 1.3 million residents (1% of the U.S. population) experiencing more than 40% of COVID-19 deaths. LTCFs must enhance cleanliness practices to rebuild trust and reassure families about safety.

SafetySpect developed the world’s first handheld scanner that can see invisible contamination and document and deactivate the potential harmful pathogens in real time. SafetySpect’s technology started from substantial collaboration between the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Army research laboratories. SafetySpect has exclusively licensed this patented technology and created numerous patents around the enhancements of both the hardware and the software. Recent dramatic improvements for LEDs, computing power, edge computing, and artificial intelligence (AI) have enabled the company to produce a cost-effective, high-quality contamination detection device and system for commercial release.

The primary customer segment for CSI (contamination, sanitation, and inspection) technology is LTCFs (nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities, and assisted living facilities) with a need for objective contamination control. There are more than 56,000 such facilities in the United States. Market demand for the technology is driven by factors that include COVID-19, health care-associated infections, and regulations. The secondary customer segment includes hospitals and other facilities using ATP (adenosine triphosphate) swabs, bacterial cultures, or similar cleanliness measures. This segment can potentially expand to pharmacies, diagnostic labs, and clean rooms.

SafetySpect’s key competitive advantages are:

• Cost effectiveness: Compared with regular ATP testing, the CSI system is more cost-effective over time. When the potential cost of an outbreak in terms of extra staff time, increased cleaning efforts, and damaged brand image is factored in, the system is well worth the cost.
• Software features: The CSI system includes integrated software for cleaning documentation, user-friendly checklists, mapping of high-risk zones, recommendations for improvements, and report generation for management or regulators.
• Convenience: The CSI system offers an all-in-one solution with rapid detection, documentation, and disinfection in a handheld device, eliminating the need for separate checklists, waiting for results, or carrying extra cleaning supplies.