Development of Wearable Device for Detecting Biomarkers and Treating Viral and Bacterial Infections
SBIR Opportunity Analysis
The Defense Health Agency, supporting the Department of the Air Force, is seeking an SBIR solution to develop a non-invasive wearable device that can detect viral and bacterial infection biomarkers and provide initial broad-spectrum treatment in austere environments. The work calls for discrete biomarker sensing using non-blood-based inputs such as saliva or sweat, with the device also able to transmit what category of threat was detected and what treatment was rendered to higher echelons of care. Phase I emphasizes feasibility for biomarker detection and treatment integration, while Phase II calls for one to five ruggedized prototypes with continuous monitoring, 95% sensitivity and specificity or higher, secure wireless data handling, and an FDA regulatory strategy; Phase III focuses on deployment and FDA approval for military and civilian use. The opportunity is identified as DHA26BZ01-NV004 under solicitation 26.BZ, opened on May 6, 2026, and closes with applications due June 3, 2026 at 4:00 PM UTC.