CDC HIV Tester
A portable two-step HIV genetic tester created to replace the need for specialized labs.
CDC Atlanta
The Development Process
Innocuous aesthetic
The industrial design was requested to be unremarkable in appearance. It would be something that blends into a room without calling attention to itself when closed.
Vial heater device
As with many other products, this was to be a simple ‘clamshell’ housing with a sample vial heater, dot matrix display, and microcontroller onboard.
The vial tester
This was the design of a lateral flow device (LFD) that would produce the test results as step two.
Functional LFD
During use, it would hermetically seal and use capillary action into a tester to produce the test results. This part was the most challenging to design for the system.
The Client
The CDC pathology team desired to develop a compact diagnostic device enabling HIV detection from a simple finger prick and a two-vial test, designed specifically for use by clinicians in impoverished regions lacking access to traditional laboratory infrastructure and advanced medical tools.
The Challenge
The design challenge focused on creating an unremarkable, discreet diagnostic device that would not reveal its true medical purpose, reducing the risk of stigma in vulnerable communities. The housing could include organized storage for vials, lateral flow components, and absorbent sample strips while maintaining a compact footprint. A critical element, the stage two vial heater, required a one-button, menu-driven digital interface for simplicity and reliability in low-resource settings. Post-heating, the vial had to remain hermetically sealed to prevent contamination or DNA aerosolization. The design incorporated an automatic piercing mechanism by the lateral flow device to access the sample for final analysis, ensuring safety, containment, and accurate results while remaining intuitive and portable for frontline healthcare workers.
The Solution
- The design solution featured a clamshell form integrating the heater and microcontroller, with a simple display guiding users step-by-step through the test. This intuitive interface enabled ease of use in low-resource settings. The lateral flow device was uniquely configured to form a sealed system when the stage-two vial was inserted, ensuring containment and preventing contamination through to its disposal and destruction. The compact, all-in-one design allowed safe, discreet operation while meeting strict diagnostic and biosafety requirements in the field.
The Results
Kickr Design successfully delivered 10 functional prototype units to the CDC for field testing, enabling real-world evaluation of the device’s usability, safety, and diagnostic effectiveness in low-resource environments.
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